Wise made his England debut on 1 May 1991 and scored the game's only goal as England defeated Turkey in a Euro 92 qualifying match at the İzmir Atatürk Stadium. Following a good season, Wise was expected to be included in the final squad for the 1996 European Championships held in England but just missed out on a place in Terry Venables' squad. Despite leading Chelsea to victories in the 1998 Football League Cup Final and the 1998 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final, Wise was passed over by former Chelsea manager Glenn Hoddle for a place in the England squad at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.