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As stated by interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be in the Celtic dugout for this weekend's Premiership clash versus Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been engaged in advanced negotiations with Glasgow club for nearly a week and now looks set to finalize a deal.

O'Neill has served as temporary gaffer for over a month ever since the previous manager resigned, notching six victories out of seven games, reducing the lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership while also steering the club to a League Cup final spot.

The veteran manager, who previously managed Celtic between 2000 to 2005, had already said he thought the visit to Easter Road – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be his final act in his return in charge.

However, O'Neill stated he will manage Celtic in the midweek league encounter against Dens Park prior to Wilfried Nancy steps into the role.

"He is the person set to be coming in," O'Neill told TalkSport. "I assumed it was over last weekend, but there's some paperwork still to be sorted. The Dundee game will definitely be my final game."

A Bizarre Experience

"This has been unreal," O'Neill continued. "It feels like a chapter of your life where you think 'did that really happen?' Am I pleased that I took the role? Without a doubt."

If the Hoops beat their opponents and the Jambos see off Killie on Wednesday, Nancy could guide Celtic to summit of the Premiership with a victory in his opening fixture in charge.

"It's a good fixture for him versus Hearts," O'Neill said. "A gentle introduction. It will be a challenging fixture naturally and I wish him all the best. At the very least he's getting a team with a bit of confidence."

The team's morale comes from the interim manager's results on the field in the last five weeks, where he has suffered just one defeat – a three-one loss away to Midtjylland in the Europa League.

However, the former Republic of Ireland national team boss along with his squad subsequently managed to achieve a first victory on the road on the continent since way back in 2021 with a win over Feyenoord 3-1 recently.

Restoration of Confidence

"We were defeated to Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That was a difficult match – a few weeks earlier they thrashed Forest, making it a challenge. To go to Feyenoord and secure a victory away from home was excellent. We've given ourselves an opportunity, with three matches remaining to try to qualify, but that victory in Rotterdam helped restore belief."

What Comes Next

When asked for his reflections during his spell as interim boss, O'Neill says it has led to consideration on if he would like to continue in management going forward.

"I genuinely am unsure," he said. "I will have a moment to reflect on everything after the match on Wednesday."

"It wasn't easy," he continued. "There was the fear of failing – which is always a major worry. I used to boast that I was capable of doing the job equally as badly as a lot of other managers."

"I have learned a lot. I have had some great coaching staff alongside me and it has served as a reinvigoration personally in many ways, dealing with young players daily."

Consultancy Role?

On the subject of if he might remain at Celtic as an advisor, the former Leicester City, Aston Villa and Ireland boss says that is entirely the decision of Nancy.

"That is really for Nancy to make," O'Neill said. "He should be given free reign. If he wants my input on things, that is acceptable. If he doesn't, that's not a problem at all. It becomes his team the minute he enters the role."

TalkSport host the interviewer ended the interview by asking O'Neill if he would be emotional or sentimental once the full-time whistle sounded on Wednesday.

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