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Per the words of interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy will be in the Celtic dugout for this weekend's Scottish Premiership clash against Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's manager has been part of advanced negotiations with the Glasgow club for almost a week and now looks set to finalize a contract.

O'Neill has served as interim boss for more than a month since the previous manager stepped down, achieving six wins in seven matches, cutting into the lead at the top in the league table and guiding the Parkhead outfit to Premier Sports Cup place in the final.

The veteran manager, who previously managed Celtic between 2000 and 2005, had previously suggested he expected the visit to Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be his final act in his return at the helm.

But, the interim boss disclosed he will lead Celtic in Wednesday's Premiership match against Dundee before Wilfried Nancy takes over.

"He's the man who will be arriving," O'Neill said to the radio station. "I believed my time was up last weekend, however there remains paperwork still to be completed. The Dundee game is certainly the end for me."

A Surreal Spell

"It's been unreal," O'Neill continued. "It resembles a chapter in one's life where you think 'did that actually occur?' Am I delighted to have taken it on? Most certainly."

If Celtic beat Dundee and the Jambos see off Kilmarnock in midweek, Nancy could potentially take his new club to summit of the table if they win during his debut game as manager.

"It's a good fixture for Nancy against Hearts," O'Neill said. "A nice introduction. It is going to be a challenging fixture of course but I wish him all the best. At the very least he's getting a side with a bit of self-belief."

The team's morale comes from O'Neill's success during games in the last five weeks, a period where he lost only once – a three-one loss away to Midtjylland in the European competition.

However, the ex- Republic of Ireland manager along with his squad were then able to achieve a first victory on the road in Europe since way back in 2021 as they beat Feyenoord 3-1 last week.

Restoration of Confidence

"We were defeated by them," O'Neill recalled. "That was a difficult match – a few weeks before they mauled Nottingham Forest, so that was difficult. To go to De Kuip and secure a victory away from home was fantastic. We've given ourselves an opportunity, with three games remaining to try to qualify, however, the Feyenoord game helped restore confidence."

Future Ambitions

Upon being asked for his reflections on his spell as interim boss, O'Neill stated it has prompted thoughts about whether he would like to carry on managing going forward.

"I honestly don't know," he admitted. "I'll take a little think about things after Wednesday evening."

"It wasn't easy," he continued. "There was the fear of failing – which is always a big concern. I once joked I could do this job just as poorly as many other gaffers."

"I've learned much. I've got some excellent young coaches alongside me and it has served as a refresh for me in many ways, dealing with young players every day."

A Potential Advisory Position?

On the subject of whether he will stay at Celtic as an advisor, the ex- Leicester City, Aston Villa and Ireland manager stated this is completely the decision of Wilfried Nancy.

"That is really for the incoming manager to make," O'Neill stated. "He must be given full autonomy. If he wants my opinion on things, that's fine. If not, that is perfectly fine at all. It's very much his team the minute he enters the role."

TalkSport host Jim White concluded by asking if O'Neill if he would be emotional or sentimental when the final whistle sounded in the Dundee game.

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