Wise picks reserve game to make his Newcastle return

DENNIS WISE finally ventured north of Watford on Tuesday night when he returned to St James' Park for the first time since Kevin Keegan's acrimonious departure.

Newcastle United's reviled executive director (football) was an almost unnoticed figure in the directors box from where he watched Newcastle's reserves draw 1-1 with Hull City's second string.

Wise had not visited St James' since August but there were rumours the former Leeds United and Millwall manager was contemplating attending Monday night's first-team match against Aston Villa, which they won 2-0. Though he eventually decided not to, Wise, blamed for provoking Keegan's departure by many Newcastle supporters, was spotted deep in discussion with Derek Llambias, the club's managing director, on Tuesday.

The previous week he had met Joe Kinnear, the team's interim manager, at the north London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham and the pair are later understood to have discussed potential targets for the January transfer window.

With Keith Harris, the investment banker tasked with selling Newcastle, admitting neither of the two "seriously interested" parties considering purchasing the club from Mike Ashley have yet embarked on due diligence, it is increasingly likely that Wise and Kinnear will still be around in the new year.

Although Ashley has insisted he will not "spend a penny" on new players during the next transfer window, Newcastle's squad remains thin and reinforcements could not only stave off a possible relegation but make the club more attractive to purchasers.

Kinnear says the squad requires "five new players" in January and it appears Wise has been busy scouting rather than taking it easy since his self-imposed exile from Tyneside.

Indeed it seems he has done more than merely telephone Bobby Robson to protest at the latter's newspaper column suggesting he should base himself in Newcastle. A regular visitor to Vicarage Road, Wise is understood to be a strong admirer of the Watford and Republic of Ireland Under-21 international John-Joe O'Toole. Wise has also had a €1.2 million bid for the 18-year-old Leeds United midfielder Fabian Delph rejected by Ken Bates.

A frequent traveller overseas, he has recently been in France watching Metz and is also closely monitoring Ashkan Dejagah, Wolfsburg's Germany Under-21 striker. Born in Tehran, Dejagah could now be Tyneside bound.

It is thought Wise regards him as a potentially ideal replacement for Michael Owen, should the England forward leave in January or next summer.