Former Newcastle United director Dennis Wise says he fought to keep Andy Carroll at the club when "certain people" wanted to sell the striker.
Wise, 44, spent 14 months at Newcastle before leaving the club in April 2009.
"We had an offer and I said no - the boy was the future of the club. Some people agreed and some did not," Wise exclusively told BBC's Focus Forum.
Last weekend Carroll, 21, scored his 10th goal of a season which has also seen him make his England debut.
"At the time Carroll would have been sold, but instead I got him to sign a new contract," added Wise, who in January 2008 was appointed as a "football-related" executive director by owner Mike Ashley, shortly after the appointment of Kevin Keegan as manager.
Wise, whose brief role at Newcastle was to focus on transfers, scouting and youth development, also insisted he "didn't sign" Uruguayan midfielder Ignacio Gonzalez, a player that Keegan has said had been "forced" on him.
Gonzalez was signed on transfer deadline day on Sunday, 31 August 2008, an act which prompted Keegan to tender his resignation on Thursday, 4 September 2008.
The Uruguayan midfielder's transfer featured heavily in the arbitration tribunal that awarded Keegan £2m in damages plus interest after the former Newcastle manager won his case against the club for constructive dismissal.
The tribunal's report concluded that the deal to bring Gonzalez to the club, on a loan basis, was "in the commercial interests of the club."
The report continued: "The 'commercial interests', according to the club, were that the signing of the player on loan would be a 'favour' to two influential South American agents who would look favourably on the club in the future.
"The loan deal cost the club nearly £1m in wages for a player who was not expected to play for the first team but no payment was made by the club to the agents in respect of the deal."
Wise became a focus for discontent among Newcastle fans after Keegan's departure and he eventually left the club shortly before Newcastle dropped into the Championship.
"People don't understand what really went on at the club," added Wise, defending his time at Newcastle. "People surmise what happened, but they don't know what happened."
Dennis Wise was speaking to Dan Walker for this week's BBC Focus Forum, which will be broadcast online on Monday.
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