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Per the words of interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is slated to be leading Celtic for this weekend's Premiership clash against Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been engaged in serious talks with Glasgow club for almost seven days and currently looks set to complete a deal.

O'Neill has served as caretaker manager for more than four weeks since Brendan Rodgers stepped down, notching six wins in seven games, reducing Hearts' lead in the Scottish Premiership while also steering the club to a League Cup final spot.

The 73-year-old, who previously managed the club between 2000 to 2005, had already indicated he expected Sunday's trip to Easter Road – a 2-1 victory – was likely to be the last game in his second spell at the helm.

However, O'Neill stated he is to lead the team in Wednesday's Premiership match with Dens Park before Nancy assumes control.

"He's the person set to be coming in," O'Neill said to TalkSport. "I believed it was over on Sunday, however there's some formalities yet to be completed. The Dundee game is certainly the end for me."

A Bizarre Experience

"It has been surreal," O'Neill continued. "It feels like a chapter of your life that makes you wonder 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I happy to have taken it on? Absolutely."

Should the Hoops beat Dundee while the Jambos defeat Killie on Wednesday, Nancy could potentially take Celtic to summit of the Premiership with a victory during his debut game as manager.

"That's a good fixture for him versus Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A nice introduction. It will be a difficult game naturally and I wish him all the best. At the very least he's getting a side with some self-belief."

The team's morale comes from the interim manager's results in matches over the past five weeks, where he has suffered just one defeat – a 3-1 loss at the Danish side during European competition.

However, the former Republic of Ireland manager along with his squad subsequently managed to secure their first victory on the road on the continent since 2021 by defeating Feyenoord 3-1 last week.

A Confidence Boost

"We lost to Midtjylland," O'Neill said. "That was a hard fixture – a few weeks earlier they mauled Forest, so that was difficult. To travel to De Kuip and win away from home was fantastic. We have given ourselves a chance, there are three matches remaining to attempt qualification, but that Feyenoord game helped restore belief."

What Comes Next

Upon being asked for his thoughts on his time as caretaker, O'Neill stated it has prompted consideration on if he would like to carry on in management going forward.

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

"It wasn't easy," he added. "There was a fear of failure – which is an ever-present big concern. I once joked that I was capable of doing the job equally as badly as a lot of other managers."

"I have learned a lot. I have had some great coaching staff working with me and it has served as a refresh for me in several respects, dealing with young players daily."

Consultancy Role?

On the subject of whether he will stay with the club as an advisor, the former Leicester, Villa and Ireland manager stated this is completely the decision of Nancy.

"That is solely for Nancy to make," O'Neill said. "He must be allowed his own space. If he wants my input on matters, that is acceptable. If not, that's not a problem either. It's very much his squad the minute he steps into the role."

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

"Do you mean am I going to cry?" O'Neill responded. "Don't be ridiculous."