'Last thing we need' - Villa Exclusive: Paul Robinson savages chief after 'Evil' claim

Paul Robinson insisted "it is not the time" to discuss scrapping parachute payments while the prospect of relegation remains very unclear for clubs such as Aston Villa.

The former Spurs and Leeds United keeper, speaking exclusively to Football Insider correspondent Dylan Childs, claimed the payments were brought in for good reason and by no means guarantees promotion back to the Premier League.

Providing evidence to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee last week, EFL chairman Rick Parry called for the “evil” parachute payments to be abolished.

For the period 2019-2022, promoted clubs receive a first-year parachute payment of £41.8m and a second-year top-up £34.2m if relegated in their first season.

Clubs who have been in the Premier League for at least one season prior to relegation receive a third-year payment of £15.2m.

When asked by Football Insider if he supported Rick Parry's call for radical change, Robinson said: "It is not the time to be making statements like that.

"There is so much unrest in football - furloughing, relegation, promotion and so on. The last thing we need to talk about is scrapping parachute payments.

"They were brought in for a reason. So many clubs struggled to maintain Premier League wages when they were relegated to the Championship and the payments give them time.

"It is not a given that you come straight back up."

Last season Norwich, Sheffield United and Villa gained promotion to the Premier League but only Dean Smith's side were benefitting from parachute payments at the time.

If the Championship promoted on this season's current standings, Leeds United, West Brom and Fulham would return to the top flight - the latter two in receipt of such payments.

In other Aston Villa news, Noel Whelan has told Football Insider the FA should ban Jack Grealish upon the season’s restart.