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According to interim boss Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach is slated to be on the Celtic touchline for this weekend's Premiership clash against Heart of Midlothian.

The head coach has been part of serious talks with the Parkhead side for almost seven days and now looks set to finalize an agreement.

O'Neill has held the role of interim boss for over a month ever since the previous manager resigned, achieving six victories out of seven games, reducing the lead at the top in the league table and guiding the team to a League Cup final spot.

The 73-year-old, who previously managed Celtic between 2000 to 2005, had already said he believed Sunday's visit to Easter Road – a 2-1 victory – was likely to be his final act of his second stint in charge.

However, O'Neill revealed he will lead the team for the midweek Premiership match with Dens Park before Wilfried Nancy steps into the role.

"He's the individual that will be arriving," stated O'Neill to TalkSport. "I thought my time was up on Sunday, but there's some paperwork yet to be sorted. Wednesday is certainly my last match."

A Bizarre Experience

"This has been unreal," he added. "It's like a part of your life where you think 'did that actually occur?' Am I happy to have taken it on? Without a doubt."

If the Hoops beat their opponents while the Jambos overcome Kilmarnock on Wednesday, the incoming boss could lead Celtic to summit of the table if they win in his opening fixture in charge.

"That's a decent start for Nancy against Hearts," O'Neill said. "A gentle introduction. It is going to be a challenging fixture naturally and good luck to him. At least he inherits a side full of self-belief."

The team's morale stems from the positive run in matches over the past month or so, where he has lost only once – a 3-1 defeat at the Danish side in the Europa League.

However, the ex- Irish manager along with his squad subsequently managed to secure their first away win in Europe since 2021 as they beat the Dutch club 3-1 last week.

Restoration of Confidence

"We were defeated by them," O'Neill recalled. "That proved to be a difficult match – a few weeks before they thrashed Forest, so that was difficult. To go to Feyenoord and win away from home was terrific. We have given ourselves an opportunity, with three matches left to try to qualify, but that victory in Rotterdam was key for belief."

What Comes Next

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

"I genuinely am unsure," he admitted. "I'll take a little think on everything following Wednesday evening."

"It was challenging," he continued. "There was a fear of failure – which is an ever-present big concern. I once joked I could do this job equally as badly as a lot of other gaffers."

"I've learned much. I have had some excellent young coaches working with me and it's been a new lease on life personally in many ways, interacting with young players daily."

A Potential Advisory Position?

Regarding whether he will stay with the club as an advisor, the former Leicester City, Villa and Ireland manager stated this is entirely up to Nancy.

"That decision is really for the incoming manager to decide," O'Neill stated. "He should be given full autonomy. If he wants my input on things, that's fine. If not, that's not a problem at all. It's very much his team the minute he enters the role."

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

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