Joey Barton has had his ban for breaching betting rules reduced to 13 months after a successful appeal.
The former Burnley and Manchester City midfielder was initially banned from football for 18 months after making 1,260 bets over a 12-year period — including stakes on matches he was involved in.
The revised ban means Barton will be free to play again on June 1 next year, by which point he will be three months shy of his 36th birthday.
Barton, who also received a £30,000 fine for his actions, described his punishment as excessive when it was handed out.
"I accept that I broke the rules governing professional footballers, but I do feel the penalty is heavier than it might be for other less controversial players," Barton said in a statement in April.
"I have fought addiction to gambling and provided the FA with a medical report about my problem.
"I’m disappointed it wasn’t taken into proper consideration. I think if the FA is truly serious about tackling the culture of gambling in football, it needs to look at its own dependence on the gambling companies, their role in football and in sports broadcasting, rather than just blaming the players who place a bet."