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Per the words of caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be in the Celtic dugout during Sunday's Premiership clash against Hearts.

Columbus Crew's manager has been part of advanced negotiations with Glasgow club for almost seven days and now looks set to finalize a contract.

Martin O'Neill has served as caretaker manager for more than a month ever since Brendan Rodgers departed, securing six victories in seven games, reducing Hearts' lead of the league table while also steering the club to a Premier Sports Cup final spot.

The veteran manager, who previously managed the club between 2000 and 2005, had previously suggested he thought the match at Hibernian – a 2-1 victory – would be his final act in his second stint in charge.

But, O'Neill revealed he is to oversee Celtic in Wednesday's league encounter with Dundee prior to Wilfried Nancy assumes control.

"He is the man that will be coming in," O'Neill said to TalkSport. "I believed it was over on Sunday, however there remains formalities still to be dealt with. Wednesday will definitely be my last match."

A Bizarre Experience

"This has been like a dream," O'Neill continued. "It resembles a chapter in one's life that makes you wonder 'did all of that really happen?' Am I delighted to have taken it on? Most certainly."

Should Celtic defeat Dundee while Hearts see off Killie in midweek, the incoming boss could guide Celtic to the top of the Premiership with a victory in his first match as manager.

"That's a good fixture for him versus Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A good way to start. It will be a difficult game naturally but I wish him all the best. At the very least he inherits a team with some self-belief."

This self-belief is a result of the positive run in matches over the past five weeks, where he has lost only once – a three-one loss at the Danish side during European competition.

Nevertheless, the ex- Republic of Ireland national team boss and his players were then able to secure their first away win on the continent since way back in 2021 as they beat the Dutch club 3-1 last week.

Rebuilding Belief

"We lost to Midtjylland," O'Neill said. "That was a tough game – a couple of weeks earlier they defeated Forest, making it a challenge. To go to Feyenoord and secure a victory on their patch was terrific. We have given the team a chance, with three games left to attempt qualification, but that Feyenoord game helped restore belief."

Future Ambitions

Upon being asked for his thoughts on his time as caretaker, O'Neill stated it has led to thoughts about whether he would like to carry on in management in the future.

"I honestly am unsure," he admitted. "I'll take a little think about things after Wednesday evening."

"It was not simple," he continued. "I felt apprehension about failing – that is always a big concern. I once joked that I was capable of doing the job just as poorly as a lot of other managers."

"I've learned a lot. I've got some great coaching staff alongside me and it has served as a reinvigoration for me in many ways, dealing with young people every day."

A Potential Advisory Position?

Regarding whether he will stay at Celtic as an advisor, the former Leicester City, Aston Villa and Ireland manager stated this is entirely the decision of Wilfried Nancy.

"That decision is really for the new boss to make," O'Neill stated. "He should be given full autonomy. If he wants my opinion on things, that's fine. If he doesn't, that is perfectly fine either. It becomes his team the moment he steps into the role."

TalkSport host the interviewer concluded by asking by asking O'Neill if he would be emotional or sentimental when the full-time whistle sounded in the Dundee game.

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