Sheffield Wednesday boss Steve Bruce issued a cautious response when he was asked if he would be leaving the Owls to take over at Newcastle United.

The experienced former Sunderland manager has emerged as the leading candidate to take over the Magpies, who are the club the 58-year-old supported as a boy.

It had been revealed that Bruce held talks with Newcastle's managing director Lee Charnley towards the end of last week, however the deal was held up after The Sun stated Mike Ashley would have to pay up to £6m to bring the Owls chief and his backroom staff.

Therefore, Bruce was on the touchline watching Wednesday today as they won 3-1 at Lincoln in front of 3,000 away fans who regularly chanted in support of their boss.

And, he addressed the speculation when speaking to Sheffield Star reporter Dom Howson after the game - although he didn't give much away.

"Look, it has happened so quickly that I have got to take stock of the situation. It's in the hands of both clubs and we will see what develops over the next 24 to 48 hours.

"It's football and it has come from nowhere really in the last two to three days so we will see what the weekend brings."

The Verdict

Clearly there is going to be some movement on this in the next day or two going by Bruce's comments and you get the feeling he will end up leaving.

He obviously doesn't want to say that right now as things can change quickly but the chance to move back up north and to take charge of a top-flight side is going to appeal to the manager.

From Wednesday's perspective, it's a real shame as Bruce has done a fine job since taking over earlier this year.

Ultimately though, they need this situation sorting as soon as possible as the new season is fast approaching.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.