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Per the words of interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be in the Celtic dugout for this weekend's Scottish Premiership fixture against Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been part of advanced negotiations with the Glasgow club for almost a week and currently seems poised to finalize an agreement.

Martin O'Neill has held the role of caretaker manager for over four weeks ever since Brendan Rodgers resigned, achieving six wins out of seven games, cutting into Hearts' lead of the league table while also steering the Parkhead outfit to League Cup final spot.

The veteran manager, who previously managed Celtic between 2000 and 2005, had already said he expected the trip to Easter Road – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be the last game in his return at the helm.

Yet, O'Neill revealed he is to lead Celtic for the midweek league encounter with Dens Park prior to Wilfried Nancy steps into the role.

"He's the person set to be coming in," stated O'Neill to TalkSport. "I assumed it was over on Sunday, however there remains formalities still to be sorted. The Dundee game is certainly my final game."

An Unusual Period

"It's been unreal," he added. "It feels like a chapter in one's life where you think 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I happy to have taken it on? Most certainly."

If the Hoops beat their opponents and the Jambos overcome Killie in midweek, Nancy could lead his new club to the top of the table if they win during his opening fixture in charge.

"That's a nice one for him against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A nice introduction. It will be a challenging fixture of course but I wish him all the best. At least he takes over a team full of self-belief."

That confidence comes from O'Neill's success on the field in the last month or so, a period where he lost only once – a three-one defeat at Midtjylland during European competition.

However, the former Irish national team boss and his players then bounced back to achieve their first away win on the continent since way back in 2021 with a win over the Dutch club 3-1 last week.

Restoration of Confidence

"We were defeated to them," O'Neill recalled. "That proved to be a hard fixture – a couple of weeks before they mauled Nottingham Forest, making it difficult. To go to De Kuip and win on their patch was terrific. We have given the team an opportunity, there are three matches left to try to qualify, however, the victory in Rotterdam was a restoration of belief."

Future Ambitions

Upon being asked for his thoughts during his spell as caretaker, O'Neill says it has prompted thoughts on if he would like to carry on managing in the future.

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

"It was challenging," he added. "I felt the fear of failing – which is an ever-present major worry. I used to boast that I was capable of doing this job just as poorly as a lot of other managers."

"I have learned much. I've got some excellent coaching staff working with me and it's been a refresh personally in several respects, interacting with young people daily."

A Potential Advisory Position?

Regarding whether he will stay at Celtic as an advisor, the former Leicester, Villa and Republic of Ireland manager stated this is entirely up to Nancy.

"That decision is really for the incoming manager to decide," O'Neill said. "He should be allowed his own space. If he wants my opinion on things, that's fine. If he doesn't, that's not a problem either. It's very much his squad the moment he enters the role."

Presenter the interviewer ended the interview if O'Neill whether he might get emotional or sentimental when the full-time whistle sounded in the Dundee game.

"Do you mean am I going to cry?" O'Neill responded. "Please don't be stupid."