Wise: I had nothing to do with McGhee departure

Dennis Wise today said he played no part in Mark McGhee's departure as Millwall manager.

The former Chelsea midfielder has taken temporary charge with Ray Wilkins after the Scot left the club on Tuesday night.

Chairman Theo Paphitis said McGhee left by mutual consent after a series of disappointing performances.

But Wise insists there was nothing sinister in a players' meeting he led as team captain after the 1-0 defeat by Preston on Tuesday which precipitated the manager's departure.

He said: "I never had a problem with McGhee. We got on fine and I believe it was Mark who suggested that I should take over for tomorrow's game. I would like to say thank you to him for that and to Theo for going with it.

"There was no players' revolt. All the players did after the Preston game was have a chat. We felt we had let ourselves, the manager and the fans down."

Wise's first game in charge is against top-of-the-table Sheffield United at The Den tomorrow. He will be without midfielder Tim Cahill (suspended), but has no new injury worries. The 36-year-old is expected to stay in charge for the next four weeks, but it is unclear whether he would be interested in the job permanently.

Wilkins, the former Chelsea coach who will assist him, certainly would as he has been looking to get back into the game since leaving Watford last year.

But the players' choices of former Millwall assistant manager Steve Gritt and striker Steve Claridge are moving out in the betting.

Claridge, who is player-manager at nonleague Weymouth, said he was flattered to be linked with the job but had not been approached.

Gritt also will not apply for the vacancy as he does not believe that Paphitis would be interested in re-appointing a former assistant manager.