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According to caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be leading Celtic during this weekend's Scottish Premiership match versus Hearts.

The head coach has been engaged in advanced negotiations with Parkhead side for almost seven days and now appears ready to finalize a contract.

Martin O'Neill has held the role of temporary gaffer for more than four weeks since the previous manager departed, securing six wins out of seven games, cutting into Hearts' lead of the league table and guiding the team to a Premier Sports Cup place in the final.

The veteran manager, who once coached Celtic from 2000 and 2005, had already indicated he expected Sunday's trip to Easter Road – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be his final act of his return in charge.

However, the interim boss disclosed he will oversee the team for the midweek Premiership match against Dens Park before Wilfried Nancy takes over.

"He's the person who will be arriving," stated O'Neill to the radio station. "I thought my time was up on Sunday, however there remains formalities still to be completed. Wednesday will assuredly be my final game."

An Unusual Period

"This has been surreal," he added. "It feels like a chapter of your life where you think 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I pleased that I took the role? Without a doubt."

Should Celtic defeat their opponents and Hearts see off Killie in midweek, Nancy could lead Celtic to summit of the table if they win during his debut game in charge.

"That's a decent start for him versus Hearts," O'Neill said. "A nice introduction. It will be a difficult game naturally but I wish him all the best. At the very least he inherits a team full of self-belief."

That confidence is a result of O'Neill's success during games over the past month or so, where he has lost only once – a three-one defeat at the Danish side in the Europa League.

However, the ex- Irish national team boss and his players were then able to claim their first victory on the road in Europe since way back in 2021 by defeating Feyenoord 3-1 last week.

Restoration of Confidence

"We were defeated by Midtjylland," O'Neill said. "That proved to be a hard fixture – a couple of weeks earlier they thrashed Forest, so that was a challenge. To travel to Feyenoord and win on their patch was excellent. We have given the team a chance, there are three games left to attempt qualification, however, the Feyenoord game helped restore confidence."

Thoughts on the Future

When asked for his reflections during his spell as interim boss, O'Neill says it has led to consideration on if he would like to continue managing in the future.

"I genuinely don't know," he said. "I'll take a little think about things after the match on Wednesday."

"It was not simple," he added. "I felt apprehension about failing – which is always a major worry. I used to boast that I was capable of doing the job just as poorly as a lot of other gaffers."

"I've learned much. I have had some excellent young coaches working with me and it's been a new lease on life personally in many ways, dealing with young people daily."

Consultancy Role?

On the subject of whether he will stay at Celtic as an advisor, the former Leicester City, Villa and Republic of Ireland manager stated this is entirely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That decision is solely for the new boss to decide," O'Neill said. "He must be given full autonomy. Should he desire my opinion on matters, that's fine. If he doesn't, that's not a problem either. It becomes his squad the minute he steps into the job."

TalkSport host 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 if I will get tearful?" O'Neill responded. "Please don't be ridiculous."