Brucie toasted new start’ with champagne before it all went flat

STEVE BRUCE celebrated landing the Wolves job with champagne – only to be told a few hours later the chairman had changed his mind.

Newcastle boss Bruce has TWICE been in the running to take charge at Molineux – and at one point had shook hands on taking the job.

Ahead of the game against Nuno Espirito Santo’s side today, Bruce recalled how a remarkable about-turn denied him a crack at the Midlands club seven-and-a-half years ago.

Bruce said: “When Mick Mccarthy left, I thought I had it.

“I had shook hands with the owner at t th the ti time, St Steve Morgan. I was going to see him the next day, and I thought everything was done.

Anniversary

“I was out of work after Sunderland, it was February 2012, it was my anniversary and I took my wife to see War Horse thinking that we’d got a job.

“We had a glass of champagne afterwards as well! The paperwork was done, I just had to sign it. I thought I was going there.

“Then the chairman rang me at midnight and he said, ‘I’ve changed my mind, Terry Connor has galvanised the training ground’.”

Then in the summer of 2016 Wolves were back in for Bruce again after he quit his job at

Hull ll Cit City. B Bruce, who h was t to join Aston Villa in the October, said: “I went to meet Wolves in London. But they gave it to Walter Zenga.

“At the time it was attractive. Wolves were in the Championship and the new Chinese people were just taking over.

“It’s amazing the twists and turns – if somebody had said to me six months ago I would be sitting here a s manager of Newcastle I wouldn’t think that possible.

“Wolves is one of those that might have been.”

And as he prepares his side to face Wolves, Bruce rates winger Allan Saint- Maximin (above) crucial to Newcastle’s

Hchances h – despite d it racking ki up club fines.

The French star keeps getting hit by Bruce for forgetting to take his earrings out for training – and the £100-a-time charge can be doubled with a spin of t he s quad’s ‘ wheel of misfortune’ on a Friday. Saint-maximin has been a rare spark in a goal-shy attack, with his pace and tricks.

Different

Bruce said: “He’s only 22 and he’s got more outfits than I’ve seen in most. He’s different and I’m sure at times he’s going to cause me a few problems, but deep down he’s a decent kid.

“We all have to manage these different diff t individuals, i di id l and dh he’s ’ certainly one. He likes an earring.

“In that respect I’ve got a few quid off him already. The players like him. He’s daft, he’s off the wall and he’s likeable.”

Saint-maximin, signed for £20million from Nice in August, must keep a hamstring problem at bay to be a regular.

Bruce added: “He’s only started three games so far but he’s going to be crucial because he is the one we can rely upon to do something different.

“The goal we scored against Manchester United, he picked it up and drove forward and beat four of them.

“He is a threat. Only time will tell. He’s on the first rungs.”