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Per the words of interim boss Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach is expected to be on the Celtic touchline during Sunday's Scottish Premiership clash against Heart of Midlothian.

The manager has been involved in advanced negotiations with the Glasgow club for nearly seven days and currently appears ready to complete a deal.

O'Neill has been acting as temporary gaffer for more than four weeks ever since Brendan Rodgers departed, securing six victories out of seven games, reducing Hearts' lead of the league table while also steering the Parkhead outfit to League Cup place in the final.

The veteran manager, who once coached Celtic from 2000 to 2005, had already said he thought the visit to Easter Road – which ended in a 2-1 win – would be the last game of his second spell at the helm.

But, the interim boss disclosed he is to lead Celtic in Wednesday's league encounter with Dens Park prior to Wilfried Nancy takes over.

"He's the individual set to be coming in," O'Neill told TalkSport. "I assumed it was over last weekend, but there's some formalities still to be sorted. The Dundee game will assuredly be the end for me."

A Surreal Spell

"This has been unreal," O'Neill continued. "It resembles a part in one's life where you think 'did that really happen?' Am I pleased to have taken it on? Most certainly."

Should Celtic beat their opponents while Hearts overcome Kilmarnock in midweek, Nancy could lead Celtic to the top of the Premiership with a victory in his debut game as manager.

"It's a nice one for Nancy against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A gentle introduction. It is going to be a challenging fixture naturally but good luck to him. At the very least he's getting a side full of self-belief."

This self-belief is a result of the interim manager's results in matches over the past five weeks, a period where he suffered just one defeat – a three-one defeat at the Danish side during European competition.

However, the former Irish national team boss along with his squad were then able to claim a first away win on the continent since 2021 with a win over the Dutch club 3-1 recently.

A Confidence Boost

"We were defeated to Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That was a tough game – a few weeks earlier they mauled Nottingham Forest, so that was a challenge. To travel to De Kuip and secure a victory away from home was terrific. We've given ourselves a chance, there are three games left to try to qualify, however, the victory in Rotterdam helped restore confidence."

Future Ambitions

Upon being asked for his reflections during his spell as caretaker, O'Neill stated it has prompted thoughts about whether he would like to carry on managing going forward.

"I honestly am unsure," he said. "I will have a little think about things following the match on Wednesday."

"It was not simple," he added. "There was a fear of failure – which is always a big concern. I once joked that I was capable of doing this job equally as badly as many other gaffers."

"I have learned much. I've got some excellent coaching staff alongside me and it's been a reinvigoration for me in many ways, dealing with young people every day."

Consultancy Role?

On the subject of if he might remain with the club in a consultancy role, the former Leicester City, Villa and Ireland boss stated this is completely up to Nancy.

"That decision is really for Nancy to decide," O'Neill said. "He should be given free reign. Should he desire my opinion on things, that's fine. If he doesn't, that's not a problem at all. It becomes his team the minute he enters the job."

Presenter Jim White ended the interview by asking O'Neill if he would be emotional or sentimental once the full-time whistle sounded on Wednesday.

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