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According to caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be in the Celtic dugout for Sunday's Premiership fixture versus Hearts.

Columbus Crew's manager has been part of advanced negotiations with Parkhead side for nearly a week and now looks set to wrap up a deal.

Martin O'Neill has been acting as temporary gaffer for more than four weeks since the previous manager departed, notching six wins out of seven matches, cutting into Hearts' lead in the league table while also steering the Parkhead outfit to a League Cup final spot.

The veteran manager, who previously managed Celtic from 2000 and 2005, had already indicated he believed Sunday's trip to Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – would be the last game of his second spell in charge.

However, O'Neill stated he is to lead Celtic for Wednesday's Premiership match with Dundee prior to Wilfried Nancy steps into the role.

"He's the individual who will be arriving," O'Neill said to TalkSport. "I thought it was over last weekend, however there's some paperwork yet to be completed. Wednesday will definitely be my final game."

A Surreal Spell

"This has been like a dream," O'Neill continued. "It resembles a part of your life that makes you wonder 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I delighted that I've done it? Most certainly."

If the Hoops beat Dundee while Hearts overcome Killie on Wednesday, Nancy could potentially take his new club to the top of the table with a victory in his first match in charge.

"That's a decent start for Nancy against Hearts," O'Neill said. "A gentle introduction. It is going to be a difficult game of course and I wish him well. At least he inherits a team with a bit of self-belief."

That confidence comes from the interim manager's results on the field in the last five weeks, where he has suffered just one defeat – a three-one loss at Midtjylland in the Europa League.

However, the ex- Irish manager and his players then bounced back to achieve a first away win in Europe since way back in 2021 with a win over the Dutch club 3-1 last week.

A Confidence Boost

"We were defeated by Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That proved to be a hard fixture – a few weeks before they defeated Forest, so that was difficult. To travel to Feyenoord and win on their patch was fantastic. We've given the team a chance, with three matches left to try to qualify, but that victory in Rotterdam was key for confidence."

Future Ambitions

Upon being asked for his thoughts on his spell as interim boss, O'Neill says it has led to consideration about whether he would like to continue managing going forward.

"I honestly am unsure," he admitted. "I'll take a little think about things after the match on Wednesday."

"It wasn't easy," he added. "There was a fear of failure – which is always a major worry. I once joked I could do the job just as poorly as many other gaffers."

"I have learned a lot. I've got some excellent coaching staff alongside me and it has served as a reinvigoration for me in several respects, dealing with young people every day."

Consultancy Role?

On the subject of whether he will stay with the club as an advisor, the former Leicester, Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland manager says that is completely the decision of Wilfried Nancy.

"That decision is really for the incoming manager to make," O'Neill stated. "He should be allowed his own space. If he wants my advice on matters, that's fine. If not, that's not a problem either. It becomes his team the minute he steps into the breach."

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

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