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According to caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be in the Celtic dugout during Sunday's Scottish Premiership match versus Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been part of advanced negotiations with Glasgow club for almost seven days and now looks set to complete a deal.

O'Neill has been acting as temporary gaffer for over four weeks ever since the previous manager stepped down, securing six wins out of seven matches, cutting into Hearts' lead in the league table while also steering the team to a League Cup place in the final.

The 73-year-old, who once coached Celtic between 2000 to 2005, had already said he expected the visit to Easter Road – which ended in a 2-1 win – would be his final act of his return at the helm.

Yet, O'Neill stated he will oversee Celtic in the midweek Premiership match with Dens Park prior to Nancy takes over.

"He is the individual that will be arriving," stated O'Neill to TalkSport. "I believed it was over on Sunday, however there remains formalities still to be completed. The Dundee game is certainly my last match."

A Surreal Spell

"This has been unreal," he added. "It resembles a part in one's life that makes you wonder 'did that really happen?' Am I happy that I took the role? Absolutely."

Should the Hoops beat Dundee while Hearts defeat Kilmarnock in midweek, Nancy could potentially take Celtic to summit of the table if they win in his debut game as manager.

"That's a good fixture for him against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A good way to start. It is going to be a tough match naturally and I wish him well. At the very least he takes over a team with a bit of confidence."

That confidence is a result of the positive run during games over the past five weeks, where he has suffered just one defeat – a 3-1 defeat at Midtjylland in the European competition.

However, the former Irish national team boss along with his squad were then able to secure a first victory on the road on the continent since 2021 with a win over Feyenoord 3-1 recently.

Restoration of Confidence

"We lost to them," O'Neill recalled. "That proved to be a difficult match – a few weeks before they defeated Nottingham Forest, so that was difficult. To travel to Feyenoord and secure a victory away from home was fantastic. We've given ourselves a chance, there are three games remaining to attempt qualification, but that Feyenoord game helped restore confidence."

What Comes Next

When asked for his reflections during his time as caretaker, O'Neill stated it has prompted consideration about whether he desires to continue in management going forward.

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

"It was not simple," he continued. "I felt a fear of failure – which is an ever-present big concern. I once joked that I was capable of doing the job just as poorly as many other managers."

"I've learned much. I have had some great coaching staff working with me and it has served as a reinvigoration personally in several respects, working with young players daily."

A Potential Advisory Position?

On the subject of whether he will stay at Celtic as an advisor, the former Leicester City, Villa and Republic of Ireland boss says that is completely the decision of Nancy.

"That decision is solely for the new boss to make," O'Neill stated. "He should be given free reign. If he wants my input on matters, that's fine. If he doesn't, that's not a problem either. It becomes his team the minute he steps into the breach."

Presenter Jim White ended the interview by asking O'Neill whether he might get emotional when the full-time whistle sounded on Wednesday.

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