Derby County defender Curtis Davies has described his shock at the club's announcement that it is planning to enter administration.

It was confirmed in a statement issued by the club on Friday night, that Derby are set to enter administration, meaning they will receive an automatic 12 point deduction.

The timing of that statement meant that it came just hours before Derby hosted Stoke City in the Championship at Pride Park on Saturday afternoon, a game in which Davies scored as the Rams claimed a 2-1 win.

Now it seems as though Davies, who is now into his fifth season as a Derby player, was still taken aback by the news, despite admitting it is something the squad had been braced for.

Speaking about his reaction to the news of Derby's imminent administration, the centre back was quoted by BBC Sport as saying: "I've been at this club a long time and I've seen a lot of highs and lows and a lot of things go on. That shocked me.

"I know there's been different financial things going on, we've had this thing hanging over us, that thing, about four different charges, one got cleared, another one popped up, so us as players, we've all been playing with the idea that there's probably going to be a points deduction for something down the line."

With several points deductions now hanging over Derby, the Rams face a huge task if they are to avoid relegation from the Championship this season.

But it seems Davies is not ruling out any chance of them doing that just yet, as he added: "We're not going to give up, we're not going to wave the white flag, we're not going to throw in the towel.

"Ultimately, we are a group that are determined, a group that are together, we're working hard for one another, working hard for our individual selves and working hard for the shirt."

Derby are currently 12th in the Championship with ten points to their name from eight league games, but that will inevitably change once those points deductions come into play.

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The Verdict

You do have to feel sympathy for the likes of Davies when it comes to the situation Derby now find themselves in.

He and many others have put so much effort in for the club, but it looks as though things beyond their control mean it could now ultimately be in vain.

Admittedly, Derby have made a strong start to the season, and they would have time to overhaul the points deficit those deductions will leave them to deal with.

But with a threadbare squad that could lose several more players in January as administrators look to raise funds, avoiding relegation feels like it might just be too big an ask for them this time around.