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According to caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is slated to be leading Celtic for this weekend's Premiership fixture versus Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been part of detailed discussions with the Glasgow club for almost a week and now looks set to wrap up a contract.

O'Neill has been acting as interim boss for over four weeks since Brendan Rodgers stepped down, securing six victories out of seven games, cutting into the lead at the top in the Scottish Premiership and guiding the club to a Premier Sports Cup final spot.

The 73-year-old, who previously managed the club between 2000 and 2005, had previously suggested he thought Sunday's visit to Easter Road – which ended in a 2-1 win – would be his final act in his second stint in charge.

However, O'Neill stated he is to manage the team for Wednesday's league encounter with Dundee before Nancy takes over.

"He is the man set to be taking over," O'Neill told the radio station. "I believed my time was up on Sunday, however there's some paperwork still to be dealt with. The Dundee game will assuredly be the end for me."

A Surreal Spell

"It's been unreal," he added. "It feels like a part in one's life where you think 'did all of that really happen?' Am I delighted that I've done it? Without a doubt."

If the Hoops beat Dundee while the Jambos defeat Kilmarnock in midweek, the incoming boss could lead Celtic to summit of the table if they win during his opening fixture in charge.

"That's a good fixture for him against Hearts," O'Neill said. "A good way to start. It will be a tough match naturally but I wish him well. At least he inherits a team with some self-belief."

This self-belief is a result of the interim manager's results in matches in the last five weeks, where he has lost only once – a 3-1 defeat away to the Danish side in the European competition.

However, the ex- Irish national team boss along with his squad subsequently managed to claim a first away win on the continent since way back in 2021 by defeating Feyenoord 3-1 last week.

Restoration of Confidence

"We lost to them," O'Neill said. "That was a tough game – a couple of weeks earlier they thrashed Nottingham Forest, so that was a challenge. To travel to De Kuip and secure a victory on their patch was terrific. We've given ourselves an opportunity, there are three matches remaining to attempt qualification, however, the Feyenoord game was a restoration of belief."

Thoughts on the Future

When asked for his thoughts on his spell as caretaker, O'Neill says it has led to thoughts on if he would like to carry on managing in the future.

"I honestly don't know," he admitted. "I'll take a little think about things following Wednesday evening."

"It wasn't easy," he added. "There was the fear of failing – which is an ever-present big concern. I used to boast I could do the job equally as badly as a lot of other managers."

"I have learned a lot. I have had some great coaching staff alongside me and it's been a reinvigoration personally in several respects, working with young players every day."

A Potential Advisory Position?

On the subject of whether he will stay with the club in a consultancy role, the former Leicester City, Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland boss stated this is completely the decision of Nancy.

"That decision is really for the new boss to decide," O'Neill stated. "He should be given full autonomy. Should he desire my input on things, that is acceptable. If he doesn't, that is okay either. It's very much his team the moment he steps into the role."

TalkSport host Jim White ended the interview if O'Neill if he would be emotional when the final whistle blew in the Dundee game.

"Are you asking am I going to get tearful?" O'Neill responded. "Please don't be stupid."