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According to interim boss Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach is expected to be leading Celtic for Sunday's Scottish Premiership match versus Heart of Midlothian.

The manager has been engaged in advanced negotiations with the Glasgow club for almost a week and currently appears ready to wrap up a deal.

O'Neill has served as interim boss for over four weeks ever since Brendan Rodgers stepped down, securing six victories out of seven games, cutting into the lead at the top in the Scottish Premiership while also steering the club to Premier Sports Cup place in the final.

The veteran manager, a former boss of the club between 2000 and 2005, had already indicated he expected the visit to Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be the last game of his return in charge.

But, the interim boss disclosed he is to manage Celtic for the midweek Premiership match with Dundee before Nancy steps into the role.

"He is the person who will be coming in," stated O'Neill to the radio station. "I assumed it was over last weekend, however there remains formalities still to be completed. Wednesday will assuredly be my last match."

An Unusual Period

"It's been like a dream," O'Neill continued. "It resembles a part in one's life where you think 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I delighted that I've done it? Without a doubt."

Should the Hoops defeat their opponents and the Jambos see off Killie in midweek, Nancy could potentially take Celtic to the top of the Premiership if they win during his opening fixture in charge.

"It's a decent start for him against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A nice introduction. It will be a tough match naturally and I wish him all the best. At the very least he's getting a side with a bit of self-belief."

That confidence is a result of O'Neill's success on the field in the last month or so, a period where he suffered just one defeat – a three-one loss at the Danish side in the Europa League.

Nevertheless, the ex- Republic of Ireland national team boss along with his squad subsequently managed to secure a first victory on the road in Europe since way back in 2021 with a win over Feyenoord 3-1 last week.

A Confidence Boost

"We were defeated by Midtjylland," O'Neill said. "That proved to be a hard fixture – a couple of weeks earlier they defeated Nottingham Forest, so that was difficult. To travel to Feyenoord and win on their patch was excellent. We have given ourselves a chance, there are three matches remaining to attempt qualification, but that victory in Rotterdam was a restoration of confidence."

Future Ambitions

When asked for his reflections during his spell as caretaker, O'Neill says it has led to thoughts about whether he would like to continue in management in the future.

"I genuinely don't know," he admitted. "I will have a moment to reflect on everything after the match on Wednesday."

"It was challenging," he continued. "There was the fear of failing – which is always a major worry. I used to boast that I was capable of doing this job equally as badly as many other gaffers."

"I have learned a lot. I have had some excellent young coaches alongside me and it has served as a new lease on life for me in many ways, interacting with young players daily."

Consultancy Role?

Regarding if he might remain with the club in a consultancy role, the ex- Leicester, Villa and Ireland boss says that is entirely the decision of Wilfried Nancy.

"That decision is solely for the new boss to make," O'Neill said. "He should be given free reign. If he wants my input on things, that's fine. If he doesn't, that is okay either. It's very much his team the minute he enters the role."

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

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