JUST 10 days after the euphoria of scoring at Wembley, Kyle Dempsey found his football career hanging in the balance this week – and he must never forget it.

One of the driving forces behind Bolton’s success this season, the 27-year-old let himself and his club down with his actions and was perhaps lucky his livelihood was not taken away entirely.

A suspended sentence of 12 months, 200 hours of community service and heavy financial reparations were the punishments considered just by Carlisle Crown Court on Wednesday – but all eyes then turned to Wanderers, and how they would handle an incident which has ultimately affected their own reputation too.

Since Football Ventures took the helm in autumn 2019 they have been on a non-stop mission to repair the club’s standing in the game, which lay in tatters after the actions of previous ownership.

This type of incident was completely at odds with the family friendly image which has been carefully garnered over the past couple of years – and that is why the club’s next move was so crucial.

Typically, it hit the right note. Wanderers stood behind the player but acknowledged Dempsey’s misbehaviour had been taking very seriously. They accepted his apologies and consider the matter closed – which given the severity of the offence should also be considered a blessing. Now Dempsey has to reward that faith on the pitch, and in his future actions.

Ian Evatt spoke to the media on Thursday afternoon knowing full well that football would not necessarily be the main topic of conversation.

The Bolton boss said there had been “in-house conversations” with Dempsey but declined to go into detail on any further punishment which may have been issued by the club itself.

The case has been hanging over the midfielder and his family for most of the season, and given the extra strain, his performances since overcoming a succession of injuries at the turn of the year have been good.

Evatt believes Dempsey will have his own motivation to show he has learned from his mistakes.

“He understands what happened was completely wrong,” he told The Bolton News. “And for him it is not about making up to us or making up to anyone else, he has a responsibility to himself and his family that he learns from it and comes out a better person, a more educated person, and I think he will do that.

“For us it is parked, it is finished, we need him to concentrate on his football and that is what he is going to do.”

Asked if there is a moral argument for the club to make an example out of a player which has been found guilty of a violent offence, the manager added: “The only thing I can say to that is the courts have punished Kyle and he has been heavily punished. For us, we will stand by what has happened in the court and move on.”

Dempsey has been cleared to play for Wanderers but will have to ‘clock in’ electronically from the curfew hours of 7pm to 9am for the next four months. He will not physically wear a tag during matches.

He will be part of the squad travelling to Oxford United on Friday and can also play in next Tuesday night’s night game at Burton Albion.

Even as the legal case progressed, Dempsey has discussed his intention to turn over a new leaf at Bolton.

His first 12 months with the club since a move from Gillingham had been stop-start thanks to a handful of injuries which had impacted on his form. Yet since January he has become one of the squad’s most consistent performers, capping off his upturn on the pitch with the opening goal of the game against Plymouth Argyle in the Papa Johns Trophy final and a man-of-the-match award.

Evatt had looked towards Dempsey to be a leader in his midfield and now hopes that he can grow on a personal level.

“It has changed him, I think this type of life experience usually does,” he said. “Just so long as it is a positive change, and I believe it will be for him. He can be better off for it.

“He has become an important part of the team.”