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According to interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be on the Celtic touchline for this weekend's Scottish Premiership match versus Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's manager has been engaged in advanced negotiations with Parkhead side for almost a week and currently looks set to finalize an agreement.

Martin O'Neill has served as temporary gaffer for over a month ever since the previous manager resigned, achieving six wins out of seven games, narrowing the lead at the top of the league table and guiding the club to a Premier Sports Cup place in the final.

The veteran manager, who once coached the club between 2000 to 2005, had already indicated he believed Sunday's match at Easter Road – a 2-1 victory – would be the last game in his second spell at the helm.

But, the interim boss disclosed he will manage the team in the midweek Premiership match against Dens Park before Nancy takes over.

"He's the individual who will be coming in," O'Neill told TalkSport. "I assumed it was over last weekend, however there's some paperwork yet to be completed. The Dundee game will definitely be my final game."

A Surreal Spell

"It has been surreal," O'Neill continued. "It feels like a part of your life that makes you wonder 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I delighted that I took the role? Absolutely."

Should the Hoops beat their opponents while Hearts defeat Kilmarnock in midweek, Nancy could potentially take Celtic to the top of the table with a victory during his debut game in charge.

"That's a nice one for Nancy versus Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A nice introduction. It is going to be a challenging fixture of course but I wish him well. At least he takes over a team with some confidence."

This self-belief stems from the interim manager's results on the field over the past five weeks, where he has lost only once – a 3-1 loss away to the Danish side during Europa League.

Nevertheless, the former Republic of Ireland national team boss along with his squad were then able to claim a first away win in Europe since way back in 2021 with a win over the Dutch club 3-1 recently.

Restoration of Confidence

"We were defeated by Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That proved to be a tough game – a couple of weeks before they thrashed Forest, so that was a challenge. To travel to De Kuip and win on their patch was excellent. We have given ourselves a chance, with three matches remaining to try to qualify, however, the Feyenoord game was a restoration of confidence."

Future Ambitions

Upon being asked for his thoughts on his spell as interim boss, O'Neill says it has led to thoughts on if he would like to continue in management in the future.

"I honestly don't know," he admitted. "I'll take a moment to reflect about things after the match on Wednesday."

"It was not simple," he continued. "There was a fear of failure – that is an ever-present big concern. I used to boast that I was capable of doing the job equally as badly as many other gaffers."

"I've learned much. I have had some excellent young coaches alongside me and it's been a refresh for me in many ways, dealing with young players daily."

A Potential Advisory Position?

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

"That is solely for the new boss to make," O'Neill said. "He should be given free reign. If he wants my input on matters, that's fine. If he doesn't, that is perfectly fine either. It becomes his team the moment he steps into the job."

TalkSport host the interviewer concluded by asking if O'Neill whether he might get emotional or sentimental when the final whistle blew on Wednesday.

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