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

The head coach has been engaged in serious talks with Parkhead side for nearly a week and currently looks set to finalize an agreement.

Martin O'Neill has held the role of interim boss for over a month since Brendan Rodgers resigned, achieving six victories out of seven games, narrowing the lead at the top in the Scottish Premiership while also steering the club to a League Cup place in the final.

The veteran manager, a former boss of the club between 2000 and 2005, had already indicated he expected Sunday's match at Hibernian – a 2-1 victory – would be his final act of his second spell at the helm.

Yet, O'Neill stated he is to manage the team in Wednesday's league encounter with Dundee before Wilfried Nancy steps into the role.

"He's the person that will be arriving," stated O'Neill to TalkSport. "I believed my time was up on Sunday, however there's some formalities still to be dealt with. The Dundee game will definitely be the end for me."

An Unusual Period

"This has been unreal," he added. "It feels like a chapter in one's life where you think 'did that really happen?' Am I happy that I took the role? Absolutely."

If the Hoops beat Dundee and the Jambos overcome Kilmarnock in midweek, Nancy could lead Celtic to the top of the table 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 will be a difficult game naturally and I wish him well. At least he inherits a team with a bit of confidence."

This self-belief is a result of the interim manager's results in matches over the past five weeks, where he has lost only once – a three-one loss at Midtjylland during Europa League.

However, the former Irish national team boss along with his squad were then able to achieve their first victory on the road on the continent since way back in 2021 by defeating the Dutch club 3-1 last week.

A Confidence Boost

"We lost to Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That was a hard fixture – a few weeks before they defeated Forest, so that was difficult. To travel to De Kuip and secure a victory on their patch was fantastic. We have given ourselves an opportunity, there are three games remaining to attempt qualification, however, the Feyenoord game helped restore confidence."

Future Ambitions

Upon being asked for his reflections on his time as interim boss, O'Neill stated it has led to thoughts on if he desires to continue managing going forward.

"I honestly don't know," he admitted. "I will have a little think about things after Wednesday evening."

"It was challenging," he continued. "I felt apprehension about failing – which is an ever-present big concern. I used to boast I could do this job equally as badly as a lot of other gaffers."

"I've learned much. I have had some great coaching staff working with me and it's been a refresh personally in several respects, dealing with young people every day."

A Potential Advisory Position?

On the subject of whether he will stay with the club in a consultancy role, the ex- Leicester, Aston Villa and Ireland boss stated this is entirely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That decision is really for Nancy to make," O'Neill stated. "He must be given free reign. If he wants my advice on things, that is acceptable. If not, that's not a problem either. It's very much his team the minute he enters the job."

TalkSport host Jim White ended the interview by asking O'Neill if he would be emotional or sentimental once the final whistle blew on Wednesday.

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