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As stated by caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is slated to be leading Celtic during this weekend's Scottish Premiership clash versus Heart of Midlothian.

The manager has been engaged in advanced negotiations with the Glasgow club for nearly seven days and currently seems poised to wrap up an agreement.

Martin O'Neill has been acting as interim boss for over four weeks since Brendan Rodgers departed, securing six wins out of seven matches, cutting into the lead at the top in the league table while also steering the club to a Premier Sports Cup final spot.

The 73-year-old, a former boss of the club from 2000 and 2005, had already indicated he believed the match at Easter Road – which ended in a 2-1 win – would be the last game of his return at the helm.

However, O'Neill stated he will oversee Celtic for the midweek league encounter against Dens Park before Nancy steps into the role.

"He is the man who will be coming in," O'Neill said to TalkSport. "I thought it was over on Sunday, however there's some paperwork still to be completed. The Dundee game will assuredly be my last match."

A Bizarre Experience

"It has been like a dream," O'Neill continued. "It's like a part in one's life where you think 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I happy that I took the role? Most certainly."

Should Celtic beat their opponents and Hearts overcome Killie in midweek, the incoming boss could lead his new club to summit of the Premiership with a victory during his first match in charge.

"It's a decent start for him versus Hearts," O'Neill said. "A gentle introduction. It is going to be a difficult game naturally and good luck to him. At the very least he takes over a team with a bit of confidence."

This self-belief stems from O'Neill's success during games in the last month or so, where he has lost only once – a three-one defeat at the Danish side in the Europa League.

Nevertheless, the former Irish manager along with his squad were then able to secure their first victory on the road on the continent since way back in 2021 as they beat Feyenoord 3-1 last week.

Restoration of Confidence

"We lost to them," O'Neill recalled. "That was a hard fixture – a couple of weeks earlier they thrashed Forest, so that was difficult. To go to De Kuip and secure a victory on their patch was terrific. We've given ourselves a chance, there are three games remaining to attempt qualification, however, the Feyenoord game was a restoration of belief."

Thoughts on the Future

When asked for his thoughts during his spell as interim boss, O'Neill says it has led to consideration on if he would like to continue managing going forward.

"I genuinely don't know," he admitted. "I'll take a moment to reflect on everything after Wednesday evening."

"It was challenging," he continued. "I felt apprehension about failing – that is an ever-present big concern. I used to boast that I was capable of doing this job just as poorly as a lot of other managers."

"I've learned a lot. I've got some great young coaches working with me and it's been a reinvigoration for me in several respects, working with young players every day."

Consultancy Role?

On the subject of if he might remain with the club as an advisor, the ex- Leicester City, Villa and Ireland boss says that is completely the decision of Nancy.

"That is solely for the incoming manager to decide," O'Neill stated. "He should be given full autonomy. If he wants my advice on things, that's fine. If not, that is okay either. It's very much his team the moment he enters the job."

Presenter Jim White concluded by asking if O'Neill whether he might get emotional once the full-time whistle blew in the Dundee game.

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