Cliftonville FC says it will follow "club disciplinary procedures" after striker Jay Donnelly was jailed for sharing an indecent image of a child .
A judge hearing Donnelly's sentence appeal at Belfast County Court reduced his original jail term from four months to three on Tuesday morning.
But Judge David McFarland declined to suspend the sentence, insisting a custodial term was appropriate, given the need to send out a strong "deterrent" to others.
In June 2016, Donnelly took a photograph of himself having sex with a 16-year-old girl who was wearing a Cliftonville shirt with his name and number on the back.
He shared the image with a friend and with a number of fellow players on the messaging service WhatsApp. It was later leaked on social media.
Donnelly, 23, of Ardilea Drive in Belfast, admitted the charge in November at Belfast Magistrates' Court .
He had been on bail pending the outcome of the appeal against his original sentence.
Cliftonville Football Club issued a statement on Tuesday afternoon.
It read: "Cliftonville Football Club have noted the final judgement in court proceedings in relation to Jay Donnelly.
"The Club’s Management Committee will now take cognisance of the final judgement, related matters, the input of relevant bodies and will follow the required Club disciplinary procedures.
Cliftonville footballer Jay Donnelly jailed for sharing indecent image of a child
"We wish to reiterate, as outlined in previous statements, that Cliftonville FC recognises the impact that this has had on the victim and her family. We condemn such actions without question."
In a statement issued by his solicitor after the hearing, Donnelly said he accepted the court's decision.
He said: "It was accepted by the court today that since this incident occurred, three years ago, I had and continue to show genuine remorse for my action.
"I want to again apologise to the complainant in this case for the hurt that my action caused. This will never erase what happened, but I hope that today's outcome provides her with a degree of closure that allows her to move on with her life.
"I also want to thank my girlfriend, my family and my friends for the support they have shown me throughout this case.
"This is something I wish to move on from following my sentence, and I ask that my family are allowed to move on also, and are given privacy to do so."
The Irish Football Association (IFA) said it would now consider whether Donnelly had brought the game into disrepute.
"The safeguarding of children remains the highest priority of the association and our sympathy is with the victim and her family in this case," the Association said in a statement.
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