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Per the words of caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be in the Celtic dugout for Sunday's Scottish Premiership match against Hearts.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been part of detailed discussions with Glasgow club for nearly a week and now looks set to finalize a contract.

O'Neill has held the role of interim boss for over a month since the previous manager resigned, notching six wins out of seven matches, reducing the lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership and guiding the club to League Cup place in the final.

The 73-year-old, who previously managed the club from 2000 to 2005, had already indicated he believed the trip to Easter Road – a 2-1 victory – would be his final act of his second spell in charge.

However, O'Neill stated he is to oversee the team in the midweek Premiership match against Dens Park prior to Nancy steps into the role.

"He is the person who will be coming in," O'Neill told the radio station. "I believed my time was up last weekend, however there remains formalities still to be completed. Wednesday is certainly my last match."

A Bizarre Experience

"This has been like a dream," O'Neill continued. "It resembles a chapter of your life where you think 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I delighted that I've done it? Without a doubt."

If Celtic defeat Dundee while Hearts defeat Kilmarnock in midweek, Nancy could guide his new club to the top of the Premiership with a victory during his debut game in charge.

"That's a decent start for Nancy against Hearts," O'Neill said. "A nice introduction. It will be a tough match of course and I wish him well. At the very least he inherits a team with a bit of self-belief."

That confidence is a result of O'Neill's success during games in the last month or so, where he has suffered just one defeat – a three-one defeat at the Danish side during Europa League.

However, the ex- Republic of Ireland manager and his players then bounced back to achieve their first away win in Europe since way back in 2021 as they beat Feyenoord 3-1 last week.

A Confidence Boost

"We lost to Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That proved to be a difficult match – a few weeks earlier they thrashed Nottingham Forest, so that was difficult. To travel to Feyenoord and win on their patch was fantastic. We have given the team a chance, with three games left to try to qualify, but that victory in Rotterdam helped restore confidence."

What Comes Next

Upon being asked for his reflections during his spell as caretaker, O'Neill says it has prompted thoughts about whether he desires to continue managing going forward.

"I honestly am unsure," he said. "I'll take a moment to reflect on everything after the match on Wednesday."

"It wasn't easy," he continued. "I felt the fear of failing – that is an ever-present major worry. I used to boast that I was capable of doing this job just as poorly as many other gaffers."

"I have learned much. I have had some great young coaches alongside me and it has served as a reinvigoration personally in several respects, dealing with young players daily."

Consultancy Role?

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

"That is solely for Nancy to decide," O'Neill said. "He should be given full autonomy. If he wants my opinion on matters, that's fine. If not, that is okay either. It's very much his team the minute he enters the role."

TalkSport host Jim White ended the interview if O'Neill whether he might get emotional or sentimental when the final whistle blew in the Dundee game.

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