Joleon Lescott has backed Everton to avoid Premier League relegation this season despite the club being hit with a 10-point deduction on Friday.
The Toffees have plunged to 19th in the league table as a result and have issued a statement labelling their record-breaking deduction as 'unjust' while vowing to appeal the decision.
Everton were punished after exceeding the permitted £250m loss over three years and have been punished by the Premier League with a deduction that places them into the relegation zone.
However, Lescott - who made 143 appearances for the Merseyside club between 2006 and 2009 - explained that the deduction came at an 'optimal time' for Everton and insisted they can be confident despite their daunting position.