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As stated by caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be leading Celtic for Sunday's Scottish Premiership clash versus Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's manager has been involved in serious talks with the Glasgow club for almost a week and now looks set to complete an agreement.

Martin O'Neill has been acting as interim boss for over four weeks since the previous manager stepped down, notching six victories in seven games, cutting into the lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership while also steering the club to Premier Sports Cup place in the final.

The veteran manager, who previously managed Celtic from 2000 to 2005, had already said he thought the match at Easter Road – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be his final act of his second stint at the helm.

However, O'Neill revealed he is to lead the team for the midweek Premiership match against Dundee before Nancy takes over.

"He is the man who will be coming in," stated O'Neill to TalkSport. "I thought my time was up on Sunday, but there remains formalities still to be sorted. The Dundee game will assuredly be my final game."

A Bizarre Experience

"It has been like a dream," he added. "It's like a chapter of your life where you think 'did all of that really happen?' Am I delighted that I took the role? Most certainly."

If the Hoops beat Dundee while Hearts defeat Kilmarnock in midweek, Nancy could guide his new club to the top of the Premiership if they win in his opening fixture as manager.

"It's a nice one for him against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A nice introduction. It is going to be a tough match naturally but I wish him well. At the very least he inherits a side with some self-belief."

That confidence stems from O'Neill's success during games over the past five weeks, a period where he lost only once – a three-one loss away to the Danish side during Europa League.

Nevertheless, the ex- Irish national team boss along with his squad then bounced back to claim a first victory on the road in Europe since 2021 as they beat Feyenoord 3-1 recently.

Restoration of Confidence

"We lost by Midtjylland," O'Neill said. "That was a difficult match – a few weeks earlier they defeated Forest, making it difficult. To go to De Kuip and win away from home was fantastic. We've given the team an opportunity, there are three games remaining to try to qualify, however, the victory in Rotterdam was a restoration of belief."

What Comes Next

When asked for his thoughts during his spell as caretaker, O'Neill stated it has led to consideration about whether he would like to continue managing going forward.

"I genuinely am unsure," he admitted. "I'll take a little think on everything after the match on Wednesday."

"It was challenging," he continued. "There was apprehension about failing – which is always a big concern. I used to boast I could do the job equally as badly as a lot of other managers."

"I've learned a lot. I've got some excellent coaching staff working with me and it's been a reinvigoration personally in several respects, dealing with young people every day."

Consultancy Role?

Regarding whether he will stay with the club as an advisor, the former Leicester City, Villa and Republic of Ireland boss says that is entirely the decision of Nancy.

"That decision is solely for Nancy to make," O'Neill said. "He should be given full autonomy. If he wants my input on things, that's fine. If not, that is perfectly fine at all. It becomes his team the minute he enters the breach."

TalkSport host Jim White concluded by asking by asking O'Neill if he would be emotional or sentimental when the final whistle sounded in the Dundee game.

"Do you mean am I going to get tearful?" O'Neill replied. "Don't be stupid."