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According to caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be leading Celtic during this weekend's Scottish Premiership fixture versus Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been engaged in serious talks with Parkhead side for almost seven days and currently appears ready to finalize an agreement.

O'Neill has been acting as caretaker manager for over four weeks since the previous manager stepped down, securing six wins in seven games, cutting into Hearts' lead in the league table and guiding the team to League Cup final spot.

The 73-year-old, a former boss of the club between 2000 to 2005, had already said he thought Sunday's trip to Easter Road – a 2-1 victory – would be the last game of his second stint in charge.

But, O'Neill revealed he is to manage Celtic for the midweek Premiership match against Dundee prior to Wilfried Nancy assumes control.

"He's the man set to be taking over," stated O'Neill to TalkSport. "I believed it was over on Sunday, but there's some paperwork yet to be dealt with. Wednesday will definitely be the end for me."

A Surreal Spell

"This has been unreal," O'Neill continued. "It resembles a chapter in one's life where you think 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I happy that I took the role? Most certainly."

If the Hoops beat Dundee and the Jambos see off Kilmarnock in midweek, the incoming boss could lead Celtic to the top of the Premiership if they win in his first match as manager.

"It's a decent start for Nancy against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A gentle introduction. It will be a challenging fixture naturally but I wish him well. At the very least he inherits a team with a bit of confidence."

This self-belief comes from O'Neill's success in matches over the past month or so, a period where he lost only once – a three-one defeat at Midtjylland during European competition.

Nevertheless, the ex- Irish manager along with his squad subsequently managed to achieve a first away win on the continent since way back in 2021 with a win over Feyenoord 3-1 last week.

Rebuilding Belief

"We were defeated to them," O'Neill recalled. "That was a tough game – a couple of weeks earlier they mauled Nottingham Forest, making it a challenge. To travel to Feyenoord and win on their patch was excellent. We've given ourselves a chance, there are three matches left to try to qualify, however, the victory in Rotterdam helped restore belief."

What Comes Next

When asked for his thoughts during his spell as interim boss, O'Neill says it has prompted thoughts about whether he would like to continue in management going forward.

"I genuinely don't know," he said. "I'll take a little think about things following the match on Wednesday."

"It was not simple," he added. "I felt the fear of failing – that is an ever-present big concern. I once joked I could do this job just as poorly as a lot of other managers."

"I've learned a lot. I have had some excellent coaching staff alongside me and it's been a new lease on life personally in many ways, interacting with young people every day."

Consultancy Role?

On the subject of if he might remain at Celtic in a consultancy role, the ex- Leicester City, Villa and Ireland boss says that is completely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That is really for the new boss to decide," O'Neill said. "He should be given free reign. If he wants my opinion on things, that is acceptable. If not, that is okay at all. It becomes his squad the moment he steps into the breach."

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

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