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Per the words of caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach will be leading Celtic during Sunday's Scottish Premiership match versus Heart of Midlothian.

The manager has been involved in advanced negotiations with Glasgow club for nearly a week and currently appears ready to complete a contract.

O'Neill has held the role of interim boss for over four weeks ever since the previous manager departed, notching six victories in seven matches, narrowing Hearts' lead of the league table and guiding the team to League Cup final spot.

The veteran manager, who previously managed Celtic from 2000 to 2005, had previously suggested he expected the trip to Easter Road – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be the last game in his second stint at the helm.

Yet, O'Neill stated he will oversee Celtic for Wednesday's league encounter with Dundee before Nancy takes over.

"He's the person set to be coming in," O'Neill told the radio station. "I thought my time was up on Sunday, however there remains paperwork still to be dealt with. Wednesday is certainly the end for me."

A Surreal Spell

"It has been surreal," O'Neill continued. "It feels like a part in one's life that makes you wonder 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I pleased that I've done it? Without a doubt."

If the Hoops beat Dundee while Hearts see off Killie on Wednesday, Nancy could guide his new club to summit of the Premiership with a victory in his opening fixture as manager.

"That's a decent start for him against Hearts," O'Neill said. "A gentle introduction. It will be a tough match naturally but good luck to him. At the very least he inherits a side with some self-belief."

That confidence stems 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 the Danish side during European competition.

Nevertheless, the ex- Irish manager and his players were then able to achieve a first victory on the road on the continent since 2021 by defeating the Dutch club 3-1 recently.

Restoration of Confidence

"We were defeated to them," O'Neill recalled. "That was a hard fixture – a couple of weeks before they defeated Forest, so that was a challenge. To go to De Kuip and win on their patch was fantastic. We've given the team a chance, with three matches left to try to qualify, but that Feyenoord game was key for confidence."

Future Ambitions

When asked for his thoughts during his spell as caretaker, O'Neill stated it has prompted thoughts on if he desires to continue managing in the future.

"I genuinely don't know," he said. "I'll take a little think on everything after Wednesday evening."

"It was challenging," he added. "There was the fear of failing – that is an ever-present major worry. I used to boast that I was capable of doing this job equally as badly as a lot of other managers."

"I have learned a lot. I've got some excellent coaching staff working with me and it has served as a refresh personally in several respects, dealing with young players daily."

A Potential Advisory Position?

On the subject of if he might remain at Celtic in a consultancy role, the former Leicester, Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland boss says that is completely up to Nancy.

"That decision is solely for the new boss to make," O'Neill said. "He should be given full autonomy. If he wants my opinion on things, that's fine. If not, that's not a problem at all. It becomes his squad the moment he steps into the breach."

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

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