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According to caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is slated to be in the Celtic dugout for this weekend's Scottish Premiership match against Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been part of advanced negotiations with the Glasgow club for almost seven days and currently looks set to complete a contract.

Martin O'Neill has served as interim boss for over four weeks since the previous manager stepped down, securing six wins in seven matches, cutting into the lead at the top in the league table while also steering the Parkhead outfit to Premier Sports Cup final spot.

The veteran manager, who once coached Celtic from 2000 to 2005, had already indicated he thought Sunday's visit to Easter Road – which ended in a 2-1 win – would be the last game of his second spell at the helm.

But, the interim boss disclosed he is to manage the team for the midweek league encounter against Dundee before Wilfried Nancy assumes control.

"He is the individual who will be arriving," O'Neill told the radio station. "I thought it was over last weekend, but there's some paperwork still to be sorted. The Dundee game is certainly my last match."

A Surreal Spell

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

If Celtic beat their opponents and Hearts overcome Kilmarnock in midweek, the incoming boss could potentially take his new club to the top of the Premiership with a victory in his opening fixture as manager.

"That's a good fixture for him versus Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A good way to start. It will be a challenging fixture naturally but good luck to him. At least he's getting a side with some self-belief."

This self-belief is a result of O'Neill's success on the field in the last five weeks, a period where he lost only once – a 3-1 loss away to Midtjylland in the European competition.

Nevertheless, the former Irish manager along with his squad were then able to secure a first victory on the road in Europe since 2021 by defeating Feyenoord 3-1 last week.

Rebuilding Belief

"We lost by them," O'Neill said. "That proved to be a difficult match – a few weeks before they thrashed Forest, making it a challenge. To travel to Feyenoord and win away from home was fantastic. We have given the team a chance, with three matches left to attempt qualification, however, the Feyenoord game was a restoration of belief."

Future Ambitions

When asked for his reflections on his time as interim boss, O'Neill stated it has led to thoughts on if he desires to continue managing going forward.

"I genuinely don't know," he said. "I'll take a moment to reflect on everything following Wednesday evening."

"It wasn't easy," he added. "There was the fear of failing – that is an ever-present major worry. I once joked I could do this job equally as badly as many other gaffers."

"I have learned a lot. I have had some great coaching staff working with me and it has served as a new lease on life for me in many ways, working with young people every day."

Consultancy Role?

Regarding if he might remain with the club in a consultancy role, the ex- Leicester City, Villa and Ireland manager says that is entirely the decision of Nancy.

"That is really for Nancy to make," O'Neill stated. "He should be allowed his own space. Should he desire my input on things, that's fine. If not, that is perfectly fine either. It becomes his team the moment he enters the breach."

TalkSport host Jim White concluded by asking if O'Neill if he would be emotional once the final whistle sounded on Wednesday.

"Do you mean am I going to cry?" O'Neill responded. "Don't be ridiculous."