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As stated by interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is slated to be on the Celtic touchline during this weekend's Premiership clash against Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's manager has been involved in advanced negotiations with Glasgow club for almost seven days and now looks set to finalize a contract.

O'Neill has served as caretaker manager for more than four weeks ever since Brendan Rodgers stepped down, achieving six wins out of seven matches, cutting into the lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership while also steering the club to a Premier Sports Cup place in the final.

The 73-year-old, a former boss of Celtic between 2000 and 2005, had already indicated he thought Sunday's visit to Hibernian – a 2-1 victory – was likely to be the last game in his second spell in charge.

Yet, the interim boss disclosed he is to lead the team in Wednesday's Premiership match against Dens Park before Wilfried Nancy steps into the role.

"He's the man who will be coming in," O'Neill said to the radio station. "I believed it was over last weekend, but there's some paperwork still to be dealt with. The Dundee game is certainly my final game."

An Unusual Period

"It's been like a dream," O'Neill continued. "It's like a part of your life where you think 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I happy to have taken it on? Absolutely."

If the Hoops beat their opponents while Hearts defeat Killie on Wednesday, Nancy could guide Celtic to the top of the table with a victory during his first match as manager.

"It's a decent start for Nancy against Hearts," O'Neill said. "A gentle introduction. It is going to be a tough match naturally and I wish him all the best. At the very least he takes over a team with a bit of self-belief."

That confidence is a result of the positive run on the field over the past month or so, a period where he lost only once – a 3-1 defeat away to the Danish side in the European competition.

Nevertheless, the ex- Republic of Ireland national team boss along with his squad then bounced back to claim their first victory on the road in Europe since 2021 by defeating Feyenoord 3-1 recently.

Restoration of Confidence

"We lost to them," O'Neill recalled. "That was a tough game – a few weeks before they mauled Nottingham Forest, so that was a challenge. To go to Feyenoord and secure a victory on their patch was excellent. We have given ourselves a chance, there are three games left to attempt qualification, however, the Feyenoord game helped restore belief."

What Comes Next

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

"I honestly am unsure," he admitted. "I will have a wee think about things following the match on Wednesday."

"It wasn't easy," he continued. "I felt a fear of failure – which is always a big concern. I used to boast I could do this job equally as badly as a lot of other gaffers."

"I've learned a lot. I have had some great coaching staff working with me and it's been a refresh personally in many ways, interacting with young players daily."

Consultancy Role?

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

"That is really for the incoming manager to make," O'Neill stated. "He should be given full autonomy. If he wants my opinion on matters, that is acceptable. If not, that is okay at all. It's very much his team the moment he steps into the job."

TalkSport host the interviewer ended the interview by asking O'Neill whether he might get emotional or sentimental when the full-time whistle sounded on Wednesday.

"Do you mean if I will cry?" O'Neill responded. "Please don't be ridiculous."