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As stated by interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be in the Celtic dugout for this weekend's Scottish Premiership clash against Hearts.

Columbus Crew's manager has been engaged in serious talks with the Parkhead side for nearly seven days and currently appears ready to complete a deal.

Martin O'Neill has served as temporary gaffer for over four weeks since Brendan Rodgers resigned, notching six victories in seven matches, narrowing the lead at the top in the Scottish Premiership and guiding the club to a Premier Sports Cup final spot.

The veteran manager, a former boss of the club from 2000 and 2005, had already said he believed the visit to Easter Road – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be his final act in his second stint in charge.

Yet, O'Neill stated he is to manage Celtic in Wednesday's Premiership match against Dens Park before Nancy takes over.

"He's the man that will be arriving," O'Neill said to TalkSport. "I assumed it was over last weekend, but there remains paperwork yet to be dealt with. Wednesday is certainly my final game."

A Bizarre Experience

"This has been unreal," O'Neill continued. "It's like a part in one's life that makes you wonder 'did that actually occur?' Am I happy to have taken it on? Absolutely."

If the Hoops beat Dundee while the Jambos defeat Kilmarnock on Wednesday, the incoming boss could lead Celtic to the top of the Premiership if they win during his first match in charge.

"It's a decent start for Nancy against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A good way to start. It will be a challenging fixture naturally but good luck to him. At the very least he's getting a side full of self-belief."

That confidence stems from the interim manager's results during games over the past month or so, a period where he lost only once – a three-one loss at the Danish side in the Europa League.

Nevertheless, the ex- Irish manager along with his squad subsequently managed to secure a first victory on the road in Europe since way back in 2021 with a win over the Dutch club 3-1 last week.

Rebuilding Belief

"We were defeated by Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That was a tough game – a couple of weeks before they defeated Forest, making it difficult. To travel to Feyenoord and win away from home was terrific. We have given the team a chance, there are three games remaining to attempt qualification, however, the Feyenoord game was key for belief."

What Comes Next

When asked for his reflections on his time as interim boss, O'Neill says it has led to consideration on if he desires to carry on in management in the future.

"I genuinely don't know," he said. "I'll take a little think on everything after the match on Wednesday."

"It wasn't easy," he continued. "I felt the fear of failing – that is always a major worry. I once joked I could do the job just as poorly as a lot of other gaffers."

"I've learned much. I have had some excellent coaching staff working with me and it has served as a reinvigoration for me in several respects, interacting with young players every day."

Consultancy Role?

On the subject of if he might remain at Celtic as an advisor, the ex- Leicester City, Villa and Ireland boss stated this is entirely up to Nancy.

"That is solely for Nancy to make," O'Neill said. "He must be given full autonomy. If he wants my opinion on matters, that's fine. If he doesn't, that is okay at all. It becomes his squad the moment he enters the breach."

TalkSport host Jim White concluded by asking by asking O'Neill if he would be emotional or sentimental once the full-time whistle blew on Wednesday.

"Are you asking am I going to cry?" O'Neill responded. "Don't be stupid."