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

Columbus Crew's head coach has been involved in serious talks with Glasgow club for nearly seven days and now appears ready to complete a contract.

O'Neill has served as interim boss for over four weeks since Brendan Rodgers departed, achieving six victories in seven games, cutting into the lead at the top in the league table and guiding the team to League Cup place in the final.

The veteran manager, who previously managed Celtic between 2000 and 2005, had previously suggested he believed the trip to Hibernian – a 2-1 victory – was likely to be his final act of his return at the helm.

However, the interim boss disclosed he is to manage Celtic for the midweek league encounter against Dens Park prior to Wilfried Nancy steps into the role.

"He is the man who will be coming in," O'Neill said to the radio station. "I thought it was over on Sunday, but there's some formalities yet to be sorted. The Dundee game will assuredly be the end for me."

A Surreal Spell

"It has been unreal," he added. "It feels like a chapter of your life that makes you wonder 'did that actually occur?' Am I happy that I've done it? Without a doubt."

Should Celtic defeat their opponents and the Jambos defeat Kilmarnock on Wednesday, Nancy could lead Celtic to summit of the Premiership with a victory in his opening fixture in charge.

"That's a nice one for him versus Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A nice introduction. It is going to be a challenging fixture of course and good luck to him. At the very least he takes over a side with a bit of confidence."

The team's morale is a result of O'Neill's success on the field over the past month or so, where he has lost only once – a 3-1 defeat at the Danish side in the Europa League.

Nevertheless, the ex- Irish manager along with his squad then bounced back to achieve their first victory on the road in Europe since 2021 with a win over Feyenoord 3-1 recently.

A Confidence Boost

"We were defeated by Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That proved to be a hard fixture – a few weeks before they thrashed Forest, making it a challenge. To go to De Kuip and secure a victory on their patch was terrific. We've given ourselves a chance, with three games left to try to qualify, however, the Feyenoord game was key for belief."

What Comes Next

Upon being asked for his thoughts on his time as interim boss, O'Neill stated it has prompted thoughts on if he desires to carry on managing in the future.

"I honestly don't know," he admitted. "I will have a little think on everything following Wednesday evening."

"It wasn't easy," he added. "I felt apprehension about failing – which is always a major worry. I once joked I could do the job just as poorly as a lot of other gaffers."

"I've learned much. I've got some great young coaches working with me and it's been a refresh for me in several respects, interacting with young players daily."

Consultancy Role?

Regarding if he might remain with the club as an advisor, the former Leicester, Villa and Republic of Ireland boss says that is completely the decision of Nancy.

"That decision is really for the incoming manager to decide," O'Neill stated. "He should be given full autonomy. If he wants my opinion on matters, that's fine. If he doesn't, that's not a problem either. It's very much his team the minute he steps into the role."

TalkSport host the interviewer concluded by asking by asking O'Neill if he would be emotional or sentimental once the full-time whistle blew on Wednesday.

"Do you mean if I will cry?" O'Neill replied. "Please don't be stupid."