🔗 Share this article

According to interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is slated to be leading Celtic for Sunday's Premiership match versus Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been involved in detailed discussions with the Glasgow club for almost seven days and now appears ready to finalize a deal.

O'Neill has held the role of caretaker manager for more than a month ever since Brendan Rodgers departed, securing six wins in seven matches, cutting into the lead at the top of the league table while also steering the Parkhead outfit to a League Cup place in the final.

The 73-year-old, a former boss of the club from 2000 and 2005, had already said he thought the visit to Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – would be his final act of his second spell in charge.

But, O'Neill revealed he will oversee the team in Wednesday's league encounter against Dundee prior to Wilfried Nancy assumes control.

"He is the person set to be taking over," stated O'Neill to TalkSport. "I thought it was over last weekend, but there's some paperwork still to be completed. The Dundee game will assuredly be my last match."

An Unusual Period

"It has been surreal," he added. "It feels like a part in one's life where you think 'did that actually occur?' Am I pleased that I've done it? Absolutely."

If the Hoops defeat their opponents and Hearts defeat Killie on Wednesday, Nancy could lead Celtic to summit of the Premiership with a victory during his opening fixture in charge.

"That's a nice one for him versus Hearts," O'Neill said. "A gentle introduction. It will be a challenging fixture naturally but I wish him all the best. At the very least he's getting a team with some self-belief."

This self-belief comes from the interim manager's results during games over the past five weeks, a period where he suffered just one defeat – a three-one loss away to the Danish side during European competition.

However, the former Republic of Ireland national team boss and his players were then able to achieve their first victory on the road on the continent since 2021 as they beat Feyenoord 3-1 last week.

Rebuilding Belief

"We lost to them," O'Neill said. "That was a difficult match – a couple of weeks before they thrashed Forest, so that was difficult. To go to Feyenoord and win away from home was excellent. We've given ourselves an opportunity, with three games left to attempt qualification, but that Feyenoord game helped restore confidence."

Future Ambitions

When asked for his reflections during his time as interim boss, O'Neill says it has led to consideration on if he desires to carry on in management in the future.

"I honestly don't know," he said. "I'll take a moment to reflect on everything after the match on Wednesday."

"It was challenging," he continued. "There was a fear of failure – that is always a big concern. I used to boast I could do this job equally as badly as many other managers."

"I have learned much. I have had some great coaching staff alongside me and it's been a reinvigoration for me in many ways, interacting with young players daily."

Consultancy Role?

On the subject of if he might remain at Celtic as an advisor, the former Leicester City, Villa and Republic of Ireland boss stated this is completely up to Nancy.

"That decision is really for Nancy to make," O'Neill said. "He should be allowed his own space. If he wants my opinion on things, that's fine. If he doesn't, that is perfectly fine at all. It's very much his team the moment he enters the job."

Presenter the interviewer concluded by asking by asking O'Neill whether he might get emotional when the final whistle sounded in the Dundee game.

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