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According to interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is slated to be leading Celtic for Sunday's Scottish Premiership fixture versus Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's manager has been engaged in serious talks with the Parkhead side for nearly seven days and currently seems poised to wrap up an agreement.

O'Neill has been acting as temporary gaffer for more than four weeks ever since Brendan Rodgers resigned, notching six victories in seven matches, narrowing the lead at the top in the league table while also steering the team to League Cup place in the final.

The 73-year-old, who once coached the club from 2000 and 2005, had already indicated he thought the match at Easter Road – which ended in a 2-1 win – would be his final act in his second spell at the helm.

But, O'Neill stated he is to lead Celtic for Wednesday's Premiership match with Dens Park before Wilfried Nancy steps into the role.

"He's the man that will be taking over," O'Neill told TalkSport. "I believed my time was up last weekend, however there remains paperwork still to be dealt with. Wednesday will definitely be my final game."

A Bizarre Experience

"It's been like a dream," he added. "It's like a chapter of your life that makes you wonder 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I happy that I took the role? Absolutely."

If Celtic beat their opponents while Hearts defeat Kilmarnock on Wednesday, the incoming boss could lead his new club to summit of the Premiership if they win during his first match in charge.

"That's a nice one for Nancy against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A good way to start. It will be a challenging fixture naturally and good luck to him. At the very least he's getting a side with a bit of confidence."

This self-belief stems from O'Neill's success in matches over the past month or so, a period where he lost only once – a three-one defeat at the Danish side in the European competition.

Nevertheless, the former Republic of Ireland manager along with his squad were then able to achieve their first victory on the road on the continent since 2021 with a win over the Dutch club 3-1 last week.

Rebuilding Belief

"We lost to Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That proved to be a hard fixture – a couple of weeks before they mauled Nottingham Forest, so that was a challenge. To travel to De Kuip and secure a victory away from home was excellent. We have given the team a chance, with three games left to attempt qualification, however, the victory in Rotterdam was key for belief."

Future Ambitions

Upon being asked for his reflections on his time as caretaker, O'Neill says it has led to thoughts on if he would like to carry on in management going forward.

"I genuinely don't know," he said. "I will have a little think about things after Wednesday evening."

"It was challenging," he added. "There was a fear of failure – that is always a big concern. I once joked that I was capable of doing this job equally as badly as a lot of other managers."

"I've learned much. I've got some excellent coaching staff alongside me and it's been a reinvigoration personally in many ways, working with young players daily."

A Potential Advisory Position?

On the subject of whether he will stay with the club as an advisor, the former Leicester City, Aston Villa and Ireland manager stated this is entirely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That is really for the incoming manager to decide," O'Neill stated. "He must be given free reign. If he wants my input on things, that's fine. If not, that's not a problem at all. It's very much his squad the minute he enters the role."

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

"Are you asking if I will cry?" O'Neill replied. "Please don't be silly."