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According to caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be leading Celtic for Sunday's Scottish Premiership match versus Hearts.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been part of detailed discussions with the Glasgow club for nearly seven days and currently looks set to wrap up an agreement.

O'Neill has held the role of temporary gaffer for over four weeks since the previous manager resigned, notching six victories out of seven games, cutting into the lead at the top in the league table while also steering the Parkhead outfit to a League Cup place in the final.

The 73-year-old, who once coached Celtic from 2000 and 2005, had already indicated he thought Sunday's visit to Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be his final act in his second spell in charge.

Yet, O'Neill revealed he will manage the team in the midweek Premiership match against Dens Park before Wilfried Nancy steps into the role.

"He is the man set to be coming in," stated O'Neill to TalkSport. "I believed it was over on Sunday, but there remains formalities still to be sorted. Wednesday will definitely be my last match."

An Unusual Period

"It has been surreal," he added. "It's like a part in one's life where you think 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I pleased that I've done it? Most certainly."

Should the Hoops beat Dundee while the Jambos overcome Kilmarnock in midweek, Nancy could guide Celtic to summit of the Premiership if they win during his debut game as manager.

"It's a decent start for Nancy versus Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A gentle introduction. It will be a challenging fixture naturally but I wish him all the best. At the very least he's getting a team with some confidence."

This self-belief stems from O'Neill's success in matches over the past month or so, a period where he lost only once – a three-one defeat at the Danish side in the European competition.

However, the former Republic of Ireland manager along with his squad then bounced back to claim a first victory on the road in Europe since way back in 2021 with a win over the Dutch club 3-1 recently.

Rebuilding Belief

"We lost by Midtjylland," O'Neill said. "That proved to be a tough game – a few weeks earlier they mauled Nottingham Forest, making it difficult. To travel to Feyenoord and secure a victory on their patch was excellent. We've given ourselves a chance, there are three matches remaining to attempt qualification, however, the victory in Rotterdam helped restore confidence."

What Comes Next

When asked for his reflections during his spell as interim boss, O'Neill stated it has prompted consideration about whether he would like to carry on in management going forward.

"I genuinely am unsure," he admitted. "I will have a wee think on everything after the match on Wednesday."

"It was challenging," he continued. "I felt a fear of failure – that is an ever-present big concern. I once joked that I was capable of doing this job equally as badly as a lot of other gaffers."

"I've learned a lot. I've got some excellent young coaches working with me and it's been a reinvigoration personally in many ways, dealing with young people every day."

Consultancy Role?

Regarding whether he will stay with the club in a consultancy role, the ex- Leicester, Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland boss says that is entirely up to Nancy.

"That is solely for the incoming manager to make," O'Neill stated. "He should be given free reign. Should he desire my opinion on matters, that is acceptable. If not, that's not a problem either. It becomes his team the moment he enters the breach."

Presenter the interviewer ended the interview by asking O'Neill if he would be emotional once the full-time whistle blew in the Dundee game.

"Are you asking am I going to get tearful?" O'Neill replied. "Please don't be silly."