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Per the words of caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is slated to be leading Celtic for Sunday's Scottish Premiership clash against Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been part of advanced negotiations with Glasgow club for almost a week and currently looks set to complete an agreement.

Martin O'Neill has been acting as interim boss for over four weeks ever since the previous manager stepped down, achieving six victories in seven matches, narrowing Hearts' lead in the league table and guiding the team to a League Cup place in the final.

The 73-year-old, who previously managed the club between 2000 to 2005, had already indicated he believed the trip to Easter Road – a 2-1 victory – was likely to be the last game in his return in charge.

Yet, the interim boss disclosed he is to lead Celtic in the midweek Premiership match with Dens Park before Wilfried Nancy steps into the role.

"He's the person set to be taking over," O'Neill told TalkSport. "I believed my time was up last weekend, however there remains formalities still to be sorted. Wednesday is certainly my final game."

An Unusual Period

"This has been surreal," he added. "It feels like a chapter of your life where you think 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I delighted to have taken it on? Without a doubt."

Should the Hoops beat their opponents and the Jambos overcome Killie in midweek, Nancy could guide his new club to the top of the table with a victory in his first match in charge.

"That's a decent start for him against Hearts," O'Neill said. "A gentle introduction. It will be a difficult game naturally but I wish him all the best. At least he inherits a team with some self-belief."

That confidence stems from O'Neill's success during games in the last month or so, a period where he lost only once – a 3-1 loss at Midtjylland in the Europa League.

Nevertheless, the former Republic of Ireland manager and his players then bounced back to achieve their first away win on the continent since 2021 by defeating the Dutch club 3-1 last week.

Rebuilding Belief

"We lost to Midtjylland," O'Neill said. "That was a hard fixture – a couple of weeks earlier they defeated Forest, making it a challenge. To travel to De Kuip and win on their patch was excellent. We have given the team an opportunity, with three matches remaining to attempt qualification, but that victory in Rotterdam helped restore belief."

Thoughts on the Future

Upon being asked for his thoughts on his spell as caretaker, O'Neill says it has prompted thoughts about whether he desires to carry on in management in the future.

"I honestly don't know," he admitted. "I will have a wee think about things after the match on Wednesday."

"It wasn't easy," he added. "There was a fear of failure – that is always a big concern. I once joked I could do this job equally as badly as a lot of other managers."

"I have learned much. I've got some excellent young coaches alongside me and it has served as a reinvigoration personally in many ways, working with young players every day."

A Potential Advisory Position?

Regarding whether he will stay with the club in a consultancy role, the ex- Leicester, Villa and Ireland manager stated this is completely up to Nancy.

"That decision is really for Nancy to make," O'Neill said. "He must be allowed his own space. Should he desire my advice on things, that is acceptable. If he doesn't, that is okay either. It's very much his squad the minute he enters the role."

TalkSport host Jim White ended the interview by asking O'Neill if he would be emotional when the final whistle blew in the Dundee game.

"Do you mean if I will cry?" O'Neill responded. "Don't be stupid."