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Per the words of caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be on the Celtic touchline during this weekend's Scottish Premiership clash against Hearts.

The manager has been part of advanced negotiations with Glasgow club for almost a week and currently looks set to wrap up an agreement.

Martin O'Neill has been acting as interim boss for over four weeks ever since the previous manager stepped down, achieving six wins in seven games, narrowing Hearts' lead of the league table while also steering the team to League Cup final spot.

The 73-year-old, who once coached Celtic from 2000 to 2005, had already said he expected Sunday's match at Easter Road – which ended in a 2-1 win – would be his final act of his second stint at the helm.

But, O'Neill stated he is to manage Celtic in the midweek Premiership match against Dens Park before Nancy takes over.

"He is the person that will be taking over," O'Neill said to TalkSport. "I assumed it was over last weekend, but there remains formalities still to be dealt with. The Dundee game will definitely be the end for me."

A Surreal Spell

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

Should Celtic beat their opponents while Hearts defeat Killie on Wednesday, the incoming boss could lead Celtic to the top of the Premiership with a victory in his opening fixture as manager.

"That's a nice one for Nancy against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A gentle introduction. It is going to be a difficult game naturally but I wish him well. At least he's getting a team with a bit of self-belief."

The team's morale stems from the positive run in matches over the past five weeks, where he has suffered just one defeat – a 3-1 loss at the Danish side in the Europa League.

However, the ex- Republic of Ireland national team boss and his players were then able to secure their first victory on the road on the continent since 2021 by defeating Feyenoord 3-1 recently.

Rebuilding Belief

"We lost by them," O'Neill said. "That proved to be a tough game – a couple of weeks earlier they thrashed Forest, making it a challenge. To travel to Feyenoord and win on their patch was excellent. We've given ourselves an opportunity, with three matches left to attempt qualification, but that victory in Rotterdam helped restore belief."

What Comes Next

When asked for his thoughts during his time as caretaker, O'Neill stated it has prompted thoughts about whether he would like to continue in management going forward.

"I genuinely don't know," he said. "I will have a wee think on everything following the match on Wednesday."

"It wasn't easy," he added. "I felt the fear of failing – that is always a major worry. I used to boast that I was capable of doing the job just as poorly as many other gaffers."

"I have learned much. I've got some excellent coaching staff working with me and it has served as a refresh personally in several respects, dealing with young people daily."

Consultancy Role?

On the subject of whether he will stay at Celtic in a consultancy role, the ex- Leicester, Villa and Ireland manager says that is entirely the decision of Nancy.

"That is really for Nancy to decide," O'Neill said. "He should be given full autonomy. Should he desire my input on things, that is acceptable. If not, that's not a problem at all. It's very much his squad the minute he enters the breach."

Presenter the interviewer ended the interview if O'Neill whether he might get emotional when the final whistle sounded in the Dundee game.

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