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As stated by interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy will be leading Celtic during this weekend's Scottish Premiership fixture versus Hearts.

Columbus Crew's manager has been involved in advanced negotiations with the Parkhead side for nearly seven days and now appears ready to wrap up an agreement.

O'Neill has served as interim boss for over four weeks since the previous manager resigned, notching six wins in seven matches, cutting into the lead at the top in the Scottish Premiership while also steering the team to a League Cup final spot.

The veteran manager, who once coached the club from 2000 to 2005, had already said he thought the visit to Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be his final act of his second spell at the helm.

However, O'Neill revealed he is to oversee the team for Wednesday's league encounter with Dundee prior to Wilfried Nancy assumes control.

"He is the man set to be taking over," stated O'Neill to TalkSport. "I thought my time was up last weekend, however there's some formalities still to be sorted. The Dundee game is certainly my last match."

A Surreal Spell

"This has been unreal," O'Neill continued. "It's like a part in one's life that makes you wonder 'did that really happen?' Am I happy that I've done it? Without a doubt."

Should the Hoops defeat their opponents and the Jambos see off Kilmarnock on Wednesday, the incoming boss could guide Celtic to summit of the Premiership with a victory in his opening fixture in charge.

"It's a nice one for him against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A good way to start. It is going to be a difficult game naturally but I wish him all the best. At least he inherits a team with some confidence."

That confidence is a result of O'Neill's success on the field in the last five weeks, a period where he lost only once – a three-one loss away to Midtjylland in the Europa League.

However, the former Republic of Ireland national team boss and his players then bounced back to achieve their first victory on the road in Europe since way back in 2021 with a win over the Dutch club 3-1 recently.

Restoration of Confidence

"We were defeated by them," O'Neill said. "That proved to be a hard fixture – a couple of weeks before they thrashed Forest, so that was a challenge. To go to De Kuip and secure a victory on their patch was fantastic. We've given the team an opportunity, there are three matches left to try to qualify, however, the Feyenoord game helped restore belief."

Future Ambitions

Upon being asked for his reflections on his time as interim boss, O'Neill says it has led to thoughts about whether he desires to carry on in management going forward.

"I honestly don't know," he said. "I'll take a moment to reflect on everything after Wednesday evening."

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

"I have learned a lot. I have had some great young coaches working with me and it has served as a reinvigoration for me in many ways, interacting with young people every day."

A Potential Advisory Position?

On the subject of whether he will stay at Celtic as an advisor, the ex- Leicester, Aston Villa and Ireland boss says that is completely the decision of Nancy.

"That is really for the incoming manager to make," O'Neill said. "He must be given free reign. Should he desire my opinion on things, that is acceptable. If he doesn't, that is okay either. It becomes his team the minute he steps into the role."

Presenter the interviewer concluded by asking by asking O'Neill if he would be emotional when the final whistle sounded in the Dundee game.

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