He may be a celebrity...but don’t let him back in Toon!
NEWCASTLE United hate figure Dennis Wise has headed Down Under for his stint on I’m A Celebrity...
Former Wimbledon and Chelsea midfielder Wise has landed in Brisbane ahead of an appearance in this year’s jungle TV series.
After retiring from playing, Wise served as executive director of football at Newcastle United between 2008 and 2009.
It’s fair to say he wasn’t a hit with fans, bringing misfits like Xisco and Nacho to the club, ahead of an undermined Kevin Keegan resigning as manager in 2008. Wise had advised an infuriated Keegan to look at the two flops on YouTube ahead of the club signing them, according to Terry McDermott’s book.
Londoner Wise has also claimed he was unpopular with United fans as he hails from south of Watford Gap - a tired Tyneside stereotype which the likes of Rob Lee, Malcolm Macdonald and Chris Hughton would contest.
In 2010, Wise told Football Focus he thought he was unfairly blamed for a lot of mishaps. “Yes I’d have done a couple of thing differently, but you can go into it and you can do things, you can suggest and advise, but it don’t always mean that you’re the one that makes the final decision,” he told BBC’s Dan Walker.
“I think I copped a lot of it for a lot of things that wasn’t really my decision. But I’ll take it, it’s part and parcel of it, it’s no problem. I’ve got broad shoulders and that is the way it is. I understand it.”
Wise served as executive director at St James’ Park between January 2008 and April 2009. United were relegated a month after his departure.