Dennis Wise started the season as a Millwall midfielder. He will end it an FA Cup Final manager.

The Lions boss now wants to walk out with Sir Alex Ferguson at the Millennium Stadium on 22 May as a fully-qualified manager.

"I am just finishing the Uefa B Licence and will do it in the next couple of weeks," says Wise, who was appointed Millwall’s boss out of the blue earlier this season.

"It’s like taking a driving test – you have to drive properly and I have to do it."

Player-manager Wise took over from Mark McGhee for a month but did so well that chairman Theo Paphitis asked him to take the job full-time.

Now he faces the ultimate test – Sir Alex Ferguson in an FA Cup Final. The United boss once famously said Wise "could start a fight in an empty room".

But the managerial apprentice says he has nothing but respect for the United legend.

"He is one of the top ones. If I could achieve half of what he has done, I will be chuffed.

"He has been fantastic for over ten years. He is very loyal to his players and knows what he wants."

Wise could become the first player ever to win the FA Cup with three teams – after triumphs with Wimbledon (1988) and Chelsea (1997 and 2000).

Hiding behind a bright and breezy persona is someone who thinks about his football.

"We play a certain way that suits us, we work a lot on our pattern," he says. "We don’t worry about the opposition too much, although we work on defending their set-pieces.

"If everyone knows what they are doing on your team, you will do well.

"Tim Cahill, who scored our semi-final goal, is a perfect example. Tim is a fantastic player but we take an awful lot of defensive responsibility off him. He knows where the goal is and we need him to get forward to benefit the team.

"I am enjoying myself at the moment. I’ve signed a contract with Millwall for one more year and we will see where that takes us."

Wise has faced Manchester United in an FA Cup Final before – and lost 4-0. But he will be doing everything to prevent a repeat this year.

"United are one of the ultimate teams. They will be bigger favourites than Liverpool in the 1988 Final (Wise’s Wimbledon beat them 1-0).

"Nobody expects us to win but we won’t go to lie down."