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As stated by caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy will be on the Celtic touchline during Sunday's Premiership match versus Hearts.

The head coach has been engaged in advanced negotiations with Glasgow club for nearly a week and now looks set to finalize an agreement.

O'Neill has served as caretaker manager for more than four weeks since the previous manager resigned, notching six wins in seven matches, cutting into the lead at the top of the league table and guiding the Parkhead outfit to a League Cup final spot.

The veteran manager, a former boss of the club between 2000 and 2005, had previously suggested he thought the trip to Hibernian – a 2-1 victory – would be his final act in his second stint at the helm.

However, O'Neill revealed he is to oversee the team for the midweek league encounter against Dens Park before Nancy steps into the role.

"He is the person set to be taking over," O'Neill told the radio station. "I believed my time was up on Sunday, however there remains formalities still to be sorted. Wednesday will assuredly be the end for me."

A Surreal Spell

"This has been unreal," O'Neill continued. "It feels like a chapter of your life that makes you wonder 'did that really happen?' Am I delighted to have taken it on? Absolutely."

If Celtic defeat Dundee and Hearts defeat Kilmarnock in midweek, Nancy could potentially take Celtic to the top of the table if they win during his debut game as manager.

"That's a decent start for him against Hearts," O'Neill said. "A nice introduction. It will be a challenging fixture naturally but I wish him all the best. At least he takes over a team with a bit of confidence."

That confidence comes from the positive run during games in the last five weeks, a period where he lost only once – a 3-1 loss at the Danish side in the Europa League.

However, the ex- Irish manager and his players subsequently managed to secure a first away win in Europe since 2021 by defeating Feyenoord 3-1 recently.

Rebuilding Belief

"We lost to Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That proved to be a tough game – a few weeks before they mauled Nottingham Forest, making it a challenge. To travel to Feyenoord and win on their patch was terrific. We've given the team a chance, there are three matches remaining to attempt qualification, but that victory in Rotterdam was a restoration of belief."

What Comes Next

When asked for his reflections on his spell as interim boss, O'Neill stated it has led to thoughts about whether he desires to continue managing in the future.

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

"It wasn't easy," he continued. "There was the fear of failing – that is always a big concern. I used to boast I could do this job just as poorly as a lot of other managers."

"I've learned much. I've got some excellent young coaches working with me and it's been a refresh for me in several respects, dealing with young players every day."

A Potential Advisory Position?

Regarding if he might remain at Celtic in a consultancy role, the former Leicester, Villa and Ireland boss says that is entirely the decision of Wilfried Nancy.

"That decision is really for the incoming manager to decide," O'Neill said. "He should be allowed his own space. Should he desire my advice on things, that is acceptable. If he doesn't, that is okay at all. It becomes his squad the minute he enters the job."

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

"Are you asking if I will cry?" O'Neill replied. "Please don't be silly."