Sheff Utd boss reacts to Everton points deduction and makes Premier League relegation prediction

Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom has backed Everton to avoid Premier League relegation despite being slapped with a 10-point deduction.

The Toffees were found guilty of profit and sustainability breaches by an independent commission. As a consequence, they were handed an unprecedented punishment that the club will appeal while fans will protest before Sunday's Premier League encounter against Manchester United at Goodison Park.

Everton had sat 14th in the table and eight points adrift of safety. Having battled the drop in the previous two seasons, Sean Dyche's side now jettisoned to joint bottom - one place and one point below Sheffield United.

Manchester City have also been charged with more than 100 breaches of financial rules while the Premier League and FA are also reportedly investing Chelsea for secret payments made under former owner Roman Abramovich.

Heckingbottom, speaking to Sky Sports, wants to see other clubs who haven't adhered to rules also hit with punishments. He said: "It's opened the doors to other sanctions. We can't just have one team punished if there have been more breaches. We suffered last season from that and I think being a football fan, it's only right. The rules are there for a reason and if not, what's the point?

"From Everton's point of view, they're going to feel hard done to because they are the first to have it done to them and it's the biggest punishment we've seen in the Premier League. That will only be justifiable if others follow suit with bigger punishments potentially.

"From a football point of view, I've been impressed with Everton this season. They should have more points than they have anyway. While it knocks them down to where they are, they've shown more than enough to show they're going to be fighting and more than capable to work their way out of it. We just hope we finish above them."