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According to interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy will be leading Celtic for Sunday's Scottish Premiership clash versus Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's manager has been involved in serious talks with Parkhead side for almost seven days and currently seems poised to wrap up an agreement.

O'Neill has been acting as caretaker manager for more than four weeks since Brendan Rodgers resigned, notching six victories in seven matches, narrowing Hearts' lead in the Scottish Premiership while also steering the Parkhead outfit to League Cup place in the final.

The veteran manager, a former boss of Celtic between 2000 and 2005, had already said he thought the trip to Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – would be the last game of his return at the helm.

Yet, O'Neill revealed he is to oversee the team for Wednesday's Premiership match with Dens Park before Wilfried Nancy assumes control.

"He's the person that will be taking over," stated O'Neill to TalkSport. "I believed my time was up on Sunday, but there remains formalities yet to be sorted. The Dundee game is certainly my final game."

An Unusual Period

"This has been unreal," O'Neill continued. "It resembles a part in one's life that makes you wonder 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I happy to have taken it on? Most certainly."

If Celtic defeat Dundee and Hearts see off Killie on Wednesday, the incoming boss could guide Celtic to the top of the table with a victory in his opening fixture in charge.

"It's a nice one for Nancy against Hearts," O'Neill said. "A good way to start. It is going to be a challenging fixture of course but I wish him well. At the very least he's getting a side with some confidence."

This self-belief comes from the positive run during games over the past five weeks, a period where he lost only once – a 3-1 defeat at the Danish side during Europa League.

However, the ex- Republic of Ireland national team boss and his players then bounced back to secure their first away win on the continent since 2021 by defeating Feyenoord 3-1 recently.

A Confidence Boost

"We were defeated to Midtjylland," O'Neill said. "That proved to be a difficult match – a few weeks earlier they thrashed Forest, so that was a challenge. To travel to De Kuip and win on their patch was terrific. We have given ourselves an opportunity, with three matches remaining to attempt qualification, however, the victory in Rotterdam was a restoration of confidence."

Thoughts on the Future

Upon being asked for his thoughts on his time as interim boss, O'Neill says it has prompted consideration on if he would like to continue in management in the future.

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

"It wasn't easy," he added. "I felt a fear of failure – which is an ever-present major worry. I used to boast that I was capable of doing the job just as poorly as a lot of other managers."

"I have learned a lot. I've got some great coaching staff working with me and it has served as a refresh personally in many ways, dealing with young people daily."

Consultancy Role?

On the subject of if he might remain with the club in a consultancy role, the former Leicester, Aston Villa and Ireland boss stated this is completely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That is really for Nancy to make," O'Neill said. "He should be allowed his own space. Should he desire my opinion on things, that is acceptable. If not, that is perfectly fine at all. It's very much his squad the minute he steps into the role."

Presenter Jim White concluded by asking if O'Neill whether he might get emotional or sentimental once the final whistle blew in the Dundee game.

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