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According to caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be on the Celtic touchline during this weekend's Premiership clash against Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been part of serious talks with the Parkhead side for nearly seven days and now appears ready to finalize a deal.

O'Neill has held the role of temporary gaffer for over a month since the previous manager stepped down, securing six wins out of seven games, cutting into the lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership and guiding the club to Premier Sports Cup place in the final.

The 73-year-old, who previously managed the club from 2000 to 2005, had already said he believed Sunday's visit to Easter Road – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be the last game in his second spell at the helm.

However, the interim boss disclosed he will oversee the team for the midweek Premiership match with Dens Park prior to Nancy assumes control.

"He's the person that will be coming in," stated O'Neill to TalkSport. "I assumed my time was up last weekend, however there remains formalities yet to be sorted. Wednesday will definitely be my final game."

A Surreal Spell

"It's been like a dream," he added. "It's like a part of your life that makes you wonder 'did all of that really happen?' Am I happy to have taken it on? Absolutely."

Should the Hoops defeat Dundee and the Jambos see off Killie in midweek, the incoming boss could guide Celtic to the top of the table with a victory during his opening fixture as manager.

"That's a nice one for Nancy against Hearts," O'Neill said. "A nice introduction. It is going to be a tough match of course and I wish him well. At the very least he inherits a side with a bit of confidence."

That confidence comes from the interim manager's results in matches in the last five weeks, where he has suffered just one defeat – a 3-1 defeat at Midtjylland in the Europa League.

Nevertheless, the ex- Republic of Ireland manager along with his squad subsequently managed to claim their first away win in Europe since way back in 2021 by defeating the Dutch club 3-1 last week.

A Confidence Boost

"We lost to Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That was a hard fixture – a couple of weeks before they mauled Nottingham Forest, so that was difficult. To travel to Feyenoord and win on their patch was excellent. We have given the team a chance, there are three matches left to try to qualify, but that Feyenoord game helped restore confidence."

Future Ambitions

When asked for his reflections on his time as caretaker, O'Neill says it has prompted consideration about whether he desires to carry on in management going forward.

"I honestly don't know," he said. "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 once joked that I was capable of doing the job just as poorly as many other managers."

"I've learned a lot. I've got some excellent coaching staff working with me and it's been a new lease on life personally in several respects, interacting with young people daily."

Consultancy Role?

Regarding if he might remain with the club as an advisor, the former Leicester, Villa and Republic of Ireland boss stated this is entirely the decision of Nancy.

"That is solely for the incoming manager to make," O'Neill stated. "He should be given full autonomy. If he wants my advice on matters, that is acceptable. If he doesn't, that's not a problem at all. It becomes his team the moment he enters the job."

Presenter the interviewer concluded by asking if O'Neill whether he might get emotional or sentimental when the full-time whistle blew in the Dundee game.

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