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As stated by caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is slated to be leading Celtic during Sunday's Scottish Premiership match against Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been part of detailed discussions with the Parkhead side for almost seven days and now looks set to finalize a contract.

O'Neill has served as temporary gaffer for over four weeks since Brendan Rodgers resigned, achieving six victories out of seven matches, reducing Hearts' lead in the league table while also steering the Parkhead outfit to a Premier Sports Cup final spot.

The 73-year-old, a former boss of Celtic between 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 stint at the helm.

However, O'Neill revealed he will manage the team in the midweek Premiership match with Dens Park before Wilfried Nancy takes over.

"He is the person who will be coming in," O'Neill said to the radio station. "I thought it was over last weekend, however there's some formalities yet to be completed. The Dundee game is certainly my last match."

A Surreal Spell

"It's been unreal," he added. "It feels like a chapter in one's life that makes you wonder 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I happy that I've done it? Absolutely."

If Celtic beat Dundee while Hearts see off Kilmarnock in midweek, the incoming boss could guide his new club to the top of the Premiership if they win in his debut game in charge.

"It's a good fixture for Nancy against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A good way to start. It is going to be a difficult game naturally but I wish him well. At the very least he takes over a team with some self-belief."

The team's morale comes from O'Neill's success during games over the past five weeks, where he has lost only once – a 3-1 defeat away to Midtjylland during Europa League.

Nevertheless, the ex- Republic of Ireland manager along with his squad then bounced back to secure a first victory on the road on the continent since way back in 2021 by defeating Feyenoord 3-1 recently.

Restoration of Confidence

"We lost to them," O'Neill said. "That proved to be a tough game – a couple of weeks before they thrashed Nottingham Forest, making it a challenge. To go to De Kuip and secure a victory on their patch was fantastic. We've given the team a chance, there are three games remaining to try to qualify, but that Feyenoord game helped restore confidence."

Future Ambitions

When asked for his thoughts on his spell as interim boss, O'Neill says it has led to thoughts about whether he desires to carry on managing going forward.

"I genuinely am unsure," he admitted. "I will have a little think about things following Wednesday evening."

"It wasn't easy," he continued. "There was apprehension about failing – which is always a 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 great young coaches alongside me and it has served as a reinvigoration for me in several respects, interacting with young people every day."

A Potential Advisory Position?

Regarding whether he will stay with the club in a consultancy role, the ex- Leicester, Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland boss stated this is entirely the decision of Nancy.

"That is solely for the incoming manager to decide," O'Neill said. "He must be given full autonomy. Should he desire my opinion on matters, that is acceptable. If he doesn't, that is perfectly fine either. It becomes his squad the moment he enters the breach."

TalkSport host the interviewer ended the interview by asking O'Neill whether he might get emotional once the full-time whistle blew on Wednesday.

"Do you mean if I will get tearful?" O'Neill responded. "Don't be silly."