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As stated by interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be leading Celtic during Sunday's Premiership match against Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's manager has been part of advanced negotiations with the Glasgow club for almost a week and now appears ready to wrap up a deal.

Martin O'Neill has served as temporary gaffer for over four weeks since Brendan Rodgers resigned, notching six wins out of seven games, cutting into the lead at the top in the Scottish Premiership while also steering the Parkhead outfit to League Cup final spot.

The 73-year-old, who once coached Celtic between 2000 and 2005, had already indicated he believed Sunday's match at Hibernian – a 2-1 victory – would be the last game of his second stint in charge.

However, O'Neill revealed he will lead the team for Wednesday's league encounter with Dens Park before Nancy takes over.

"He's the person who will be arriving," stated O'Neill to the radio station. "I assumed it was over on Sunday, but there's some paperwork still to be dealt with. The Dundee game is certainly the end for me."

An Unusual Period

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

Should Celtic beat their opponents and Hearts overcome Kilmarnock in midweek, the incoming boss could potentially take Celtic to the top of the table if they win in his opening fixture as manager.

"It's a good fixture for Nancy against Hearts," O'Neill said. "A nice introduction. It will be a challenging fixture of course and I wish him all the best. At the very least he takes over a side with a bit of confidence."

This self-belief stems from the interim manager's results during games over the past five weeks, a period where he lost only once – a 3-1 defeat at Midtjylland during European competition.

Nevertheless, the ex- Irish manager and his players then bounced back to achieve a first victory on the road on the continent since 2021 as they beat the Dutch club 3-1 last week.

Restoration of Confidence

"We were defeated by them," O'Neill recalled. "That was a hard fixture – a couple of weeks earlier they defeated Nottingham Forest, so that was a challenge. To go to De Kuip and win on their patch was excellent. We've given the team an opportunity, there are three games left to try to qualify, but that victory in Rotterdam was a restoration of belief."

What Comes Next

When asked for his thoughts during his time as caretaker, O'Neill says it has led to thoughts about whether he would like to continue managing in the future.

"I honestly don't know," he admitted. "I will have a little think on everything following Wednesday evening."

"It was challenging," he added. "There was a fear of failure – that is always a big concern. I once joked I could do this job just as poorly as many other gaffers."

"I've learned a lot. I've got some great coaching staff alongside me and it has served as a reinvigoration personally in several respects, dealing with young players every day."

A Potential Advisory Position?

On the subject of whether he will stay with the club as an advisor, the ex- Leicester City, Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland boss stated this is completely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That decision is really for the incoming manager to make," O'Neill said. "He should be allowed his own space. If he wants my opinion on matters, that's fine. If he doesn't, that is perfectly fine at all. It's very much his team the minute he steps into the role."

Presenter the interviewer ended the interview if O'Neill whether he might get emotional or sentimental once the final whistle blew on Wednesday.

"Are you asking if I will cry?" O'Neill replied. "Please don't be ridiculous."