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Per the words of caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be in the Celtic dugout during this weekend's Scottish Premiership match versus Hearts.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been part of detailed discussions with the Glasgow club for nearly seven days and currently appears ready to finalize a contract.

Martin O'Neill has held the role of interim boss for over a month ever since Brendan Rodgers resigned, securing six wins in seven games, reducing Hearts' lead in the league table and guiding the team to Premier Sports Cup place in the final.

The 73-year-old, who once coached the club from 2000 to 2005, had already indicated he thought the visit to Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be the last game in his second spell at the helm.

Yet, the interim boss disclosed he will lead Celtic in Wednesday's league encounter against Dens Park before Nancy steps into the role.

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

A Bizarre Experience

"This has been like a dream," O'Neill continued. "It feels like a chapter of your life that makes you wonder 'did all of that really happen?' Am I delighted to have taken it on? Absolutely."

Should the Hoops defeat their opponents and Hearts overcome Kilmarnock in midweek, Nancy could lead Celtic to summit of the table if they win in his first match as manager.

"It's a decent start for Nancy versus Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A gentle introduction. It will be a challenging fixture naturally but I wish him all the best. At least he takes over a team with some self-belief."

That confidence comes from the positive run during games over the past month or so, a period where he lost only once – a three-one loss at the Danish side during European competition.

Nevertheless, the ex- Republic of Ireland manager along with his squad subsequently managed to achieve their first away win in Europe since way back in 2021 as they beat the Dutch club 3-1 recently.

Restoration of Confidence

"We lost to Midtjylland," O'Neill said. "That was a hard fixture – a few weeks earlier they defeated Forest, making it a challenge. To go to Feyenoord and secure a victory away from home was excellent. We have given the team an opportunity, with three matches remaining to attempt qualification, but that Feyenoord game helped restore belief."

What Comes Next

When asked for his thoughts on his time as caretaker, O'Neill stated it has led to consideration on if he desires to carry on managing in the future.

"I genuinely am unsure," he said. "I'll take a wee think about things following Wednesday evening."

"It was challenging," he added. "There was apprehension about failing – which is an ever-present major worry. I once joked I could do this job just as poorly as a lot of other managers."

"I've learned much. I have had some excellent young coaches working with me and it has served as a reinvigoration personally in several respects, dealing with young people daily."

A Potential Advisory Position?

On the subject of whether he will stay with the club in a consultancy role, the former Leicester City, Aston Villa and Ireland manager stated this is completely the decision of Wilfried Nancy.

"That decision is really for the incoming manager to decide," O'Neill stated. "He should be given full autonomy. If he wants my advice on things, that is acceptable. If he doesn't, that is perfectly fine either. It's very much his squad the moment he enters the job."

TalkSport host the interviewer concluded by asking by asking O'Neill if he would be emotional when the final whistle sounded in the Dundee game.

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