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Per the words of caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be on the Celtic touchline for Sunday's Scottish Premiership clash versus Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's manager has been part of serious talks with Glasgow club for almost a week and currently seems poised to wrap up an agreement.

O'Neill has held the role of caretaker manager for over a month since the previous manager resigned, achieving six victories in seven games, narrowing the lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership and guiding the club to Premier Sports Cup final spot.

The veteran manager, who previously managed the club between 2000 to 2005, had already indicated he thought the trip to Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – would be his final act in his second stint in charge.

However, O'Neill revealed he is to manage the team in Wednesday's Premiership match with Dens Park prior to Nancy steps into the role.

"He is the person that will be coming in," O'Neill said to the radio station. "I thought it was over on Sunday, however there's some formalities still to be sorted. The Dundee game will assuredly be my final game."

A Surreal Spell

"This has been like a dream," O'Neill continued. "It resembles a chapter in one's life where you think 'did that actually occur?' Am I delighted that I've done it? Without a doubt."

Should Celtic beat their opponents while Hearts overcome Kilmarnock in midweek, Nancy could potentially take his new club to summit of the table with a victory during his opening fixture in charge.

"That's a nice one for Nancy against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A good way to start. It is going to be a challenging fixture of course but good luck to him. At the very least he's getting a team with a bit of self-belief."

The team's morale comes from the positive run on the field over the past month or so, a period where he lost only once – a 3-1 defeat away to the Danish side during European competition.

Nevertheless, the former Irish manager along with his squad then bounced back to claim their first away win in Europe since way back in 2021 with a win over the Dutch club 3-1 recently.

A Confidence Boost

"We were defeated by them," O'Neill said. "That proved to be a difficult match – a couple of weeks earlier they mauled Nottingham Forest, making it difficult. To travel to De Kuip and win on their patch was fantastic. We have given the team a chance, with three games left to try to qualify, but that victory in Rotterdam was key for belief."

Future Ambitions

Upon being asked for his reflections on his time as interim boss, O'Neill says it has prompted consideration about whether he would like to carry on in management in the future.

"I honestly don't know," he said. "I will have a moment to reflect about things after the match on Wednesday."

"It was not simple," he added. "There was a fear of failure – that is an ever-present big concern. I once joked that I was capable of doing the job equally as badly as many other gaffers."

"I've learned a lot. I have had some excellent coaching staff alongside me and it's been a refresh personally in many ways, dealing with young players every day."

Consultancy Role?

On the subject of if he might remain with the club as an advisor, the ex- Leicester City, Aston Villa and Ireland manager says that is entirely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That is really for Nancy to make," O'Neill stated. "He should be given full autonomy. If he wants my advice on matters, that's fine. If he doesn't, that's not a problem at all. It becomes his squad the minute he steps into the breach."

TalkSport host the interviewer concluded by asking if O'Neill whether he might get emotional when the final whistle blew on Wednesday.

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