LONDON (AFP) - Newcastle have prised Leeds coach Dennis Wise away from Elland Road to join Kevin Keegan's backroom staff after the English Premiership outfit agreed a compensation package with their League One counterparts.

Keegan had been seeking a number two after taking charge earlier this month for the second time at St James' Park and Wise, 41, will head for Tyneside on Tuesday after preparing Leeds' next match at Southend.

However, Newcastle insisted Wise would not be Keegan's deputy with the former England midfielder set to take up more of a development role similar to that of Frank Arnesen at Chelsea.

A Leeds statement read: "We have agreed a compensation package with Newcastle for the services of our manager Dennis Wise and he will part company with the club on Tuesday, after completing the preparations for our game at Southend that evening.

"Newcastle had approached us for permission to speak with Dennis on Friday and since then things have happened very quickly.

"We will always be grateful to Dennis for the way he has turned things around at the club on the playing side and he goes with our best wishes for the future.

"We are not prepared to comment on the inevitable speculation that will now follow about who will replace Dennis. That is not the way we do our business at this club."

Wise took over at Leeds last season but could not prevent relegation from the Championship.

However he has turned their fortunes around this campaign and, despite a 15 points penalty for breaching competition rules, the former Premiership side now place fifth, just one point off an automatic promotion place with 18 wins in 28 games.

The news of the appointment of Wise, as a member of the Wimbledon side that won the FA Cup in 1988, came as Keegan was due to be holding talks with Newcastle fans' favourite Alan Shearer regarding the former England striker's proposed return to St James' Park in some sort of management/coaching role.

However Keegan, himself a former England forward and manager, who finished his playing career with Newcastle, was coy when asked Monday about the progress of his discussions with Shearer.

He said they were a matter for club chairman Chris Mort, and that he wanted to concentrate on Tuesday's league game away to Arsenal which comes hot on the heels of Saturday's 3-0 FA Cup defeat against the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium.