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According to caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy will be on the Celtic touchline for this weekend's Scottish Premiership fixture against Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's manager has been engaged in advanced negotiations with the Glasgow club for almost seven days and currently seems poised to finalize an agreement.

O'Neill has served as caretaker manager for more than four weeks ever since the previous manager departed, securing six wins in seven games, reducing Hearts' lead in the league table while also steering the Parkhead outfit to League Cup place in the final.

The 73-year-old, who previously managed Celtic between 2000 to 2005, had already said he expected the visit to Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – would be his final act in his second stint at the helm.

But, O'Neill revealed he will manage Celtic for Wednesday's league encounter with Dundee before Wilfried Nancy takes over.

"He's the person who will be coming in," stated O'Neill to the radio station. "I thought my time was up last weekend, however there remains formalities yet to be sorted. Wednesday is certainly the end for me."

A Surreal Spell

"It's been surreal," O'Neill continued. "It resembles a part in one's life where you think 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I happy that I took the role? Absolutely."

If Celtic beat Dundee and the Jambos see off Kilmarnock on Wednesday, the incoming boss could potentially take Celtic to the top of the Premiership with a victory during his opening fixture in charge.

"That's a decent start for him against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A gentle introduction. It is going to be a tough match naturally and I wish him well. At the very least he takes over a side with a bit of self-belief."

That confidence stems from O'Neill's success during games over the past month or so, where he has lost only once – a 3-1 defeat at the Danish side during European competition.

However, the former Irish national team boss and his players were then able to achieve their first victory on the road on the continent since 2021 by defeating Feyenoord 3-1 recently.

Restoration of Confidence

"We lost by them," O'Neill recalled. "That proved to be a hard fixture – a few weeks earlier they thrashed Forest, making it difficult. To go to Feyenoord and win on their patch was excellent. We have given ourselves an opportunity, with three games left to attempt qualification, however, the victory in Rotterdam helped restore belief."

Thoughts on the Future

Upon being asked for his thoughts on his spell as interim boss, O'Neill says it has led to consideration on if he would like to carry on managing in the future.

"I honestly don't know," he said. "I will have a little think on everything after Wednesday evening."

"It was not simple," he added. "There was a fear of failure – that is an ever-present big concern. I once joked I could do the job just as poorly as many other managers."

"I have learned a lot. I have had some great young coaches alongside me and it's been a new lease on life personally in several respects, dealing with young players every day."

A Potential Advisory Position?

On the subject of if he might remain with the club as an advisor, the former Leicester, Aston Villa and Ireland manager stated this is completely up to Nancy.

"That decision is solely for Nancy to decide," O'Neill stated. "He must be given full autonomy. Should he desire my opinion on things, that is acceptable. If not, that is okay either. It becomes his squad the moment he enters the role."

TalkSport host Jim White ended the interview by asking O'Neill whether he might get emotional once the final whistle blew in the Dundee game.

"Are you asking if I will get tearful?" O'Neill replied. "Don't be ridiculous."