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Per the words of interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is slated to be on the Celtic touchline for Sunday's Scottish Premiership fixture versus Hearts.

Columbus Crew's manager has been engaged in serious talks with the Glasgow club for nearly seven days and now looks set to wrap up an agreement.

Martin O'Neill has served as interim boss for over four weeks since the previous manager resigned, securing six wins out of seven games, reducing Hearts' lead of the Scottish Premiership while also steering the team to Premier Sports Cup final spot.

The 73-year-old, a former boss of the club from 2000 and 2005, had previously suggested he believed the trip to Hibernian – a 2-1 victory – would be his final act in his second stint at the helm.

However, O'Neill stated he is to lead Celtic in Wednesday's league encounter against Dundee before Wilfried Nancy assumes control.

"He's the individual set to be arriving," stated O'Neill to TalkSport. "I believed it was over last weekend, however there's some formalities still to be sorted. Wednesday will assuredly be my last match."

An Unusual Period

"It has been unreal," he added. "It feels like a chapter in one's life that makes you wonder 'did all of that really happen?' Am I happy that I've done it? Without a doubt."

Should Celtic defeat their opponents while Hearts overcome Killie on Wednesday, Nancy could guide Celtic to summit of the table with a victory during his debut game in charge.

"It's a decent start for him versus Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A gentle introduction. It is going to be a difficult game of course and I wish him all the best. At least he's getting a team full of self-belief."

This self-belief comes from the positive run in matches over the past five weeks, a period where he suffered just one defeat – a 3-1 defeat away to the Danish side in the Europa League.

However, the former Republic of Ireland national team boss and his players were then able to achieve a first victory on the road on the continent since 2021 as they beat the Dutch club 3-1 last week.

Rebuilding Belief

"We lost to them," O'Neill recalled. "That proved to be a tough game – a few weeks earlier they defeated Forest, making it difficult. To travel to Feyenoord and secure a victory away from home was fantastic. We've given the team an opportunity, there are three matches left to try to qualify, however, the Feyenoord game was key for confidence."

What Comes Next

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

"I honestly am unsure," he admitted. "I will have a moment to reflect about things following Wednesday evening."

"It wasn't easy," he continued. "I felt the fear of failing – which is always a big concern. I once joked that I was capable of doing this job equally as badly as many other managers."

"I have learned a lot. I've got some great coaching staff alongside me and it's been a refresh personally in several respects, dealing with young players daily."

A Potential Advisory Position?

Regarding whether he will stay at Celtic as an advisor, the ex- Leicester City, Villa and Republic of Ireland manager says that is completely the decision of Wilfried Nancy.

"That is solely for Nancy to make," O'Neill stated. "He should be given full autonomy. If he wants my opinion on things, that is acceptable. If he doesn't, that's not a problem either. It becomes his squad the moment he steps into the breach."

Presenter the interviewer concluded by asking if O'Neill if he would be emotional once the final whistle blew on Wednesday.

"Are you asking am I going to get tearful?" O'Neill responded. "Don't be silly."