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As stated by interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be in the Celtic dugout for Sunday's Premiership match versus Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's manager has been engaged in detailed discussions with the Parkhead side for nearly seven days and now appears ready to finalize a deal.

O'Neill has been acting as caretaker manager for over a month since the previous manager stepped down, notching six wins out of seven games, narrowing the lead at the top in the Scottish Premiership and guiding the club to a Premier Sports Cup final spot.

The veteran manager, a former boss of Celtic from 2000 and 2005, had already indicated he expected Sunday's visit to Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be the last game of his second stint at the helm.

However, O'Neill stated he is to oversee Celtic in the midweek Premiership match with Dundee prior to Wilfried Nancy takes over.

"He is the man who will be arriving," stated O'Neill to TalkSport. "I believed my time was up on Sunday, however there remains paperwork still to be dealt with. Wednesday will definitely be the end for me."

A Surreal Spell

"It has been surreal," he added. "It's like a part of your life that makes you wonder 'did that actually occur?' Am I delighted that I've done it? Most certainly."

If the Hoops defeat their opponents and Hearts see off Killie on Wednesday, Nancy could guide Celtic to the top of the Premiership if they win during his debut game as manager.

"That's a decent start for Nancy versus Hearts," O'Neill said. "A good way to start. It is going to be a tough match of course and I wish him all the best. At the very least he inherits a team with some self-belief."

This self-belief stems from the interim manager's results in matches in the last month or so, where he has suffered just one defeat – a three-one defeat away to Midtjylland in the European competition.

Nevertheless, the ex- Irish national team boss 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 recently.

Restoration of Confidence

"We were defeated by Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That was a difficult match – a few weeks before they mauled Forest, so that was difficult. To travel to De Kuip and secure a victory away from home was terrific. We have given the team a chance, with three matches left to try to qualify, however, the victory in Rotterdam was a restoration of belief."

What Comes Next

When asked for his thoughts during his spell as caretaker, O'Neill says it has led to thoughts on if he desires to continue in management going forward.

"I genuinely am unsure," he admitted. "I will have a wee think about things following the match on Wednesday."

"It wasn't easy," he added. "There was the fear of failing – which is always a major worry. I once joked that I was capable of doing the job just as poorly as many other managers."

"I have learned much. I've got some excellent coaching staff working with me and it has served as a refresh personally in many ways, dealing with young players daily."

A Potential Advisory Position?

On the subject of if he might remain at Celtic in a consultancy role, the ex- Leicester City, Villa and Ireland manager says that is completely the decision of Wilfried Nancy.

"That decision is solely for Nancy to decide," O'Neill stated. "He must be given full autonomy. If he wants my opinion on matters, that is acceptable. If he doesn't, that's not a problem either. It's very much his team the moment he steps into the job."

Presenter Jim White concluded by asking if O'Neill if he would be emotional once the full-time whistle sounded on Wednesday.

"Do you mean am I going to get tearful?" O'Neill replied. "Please don't be ridiculous."