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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 Premiership match against Heart of Midlothian.

The manager has been part of advanced negotiations with Glasgow club for nearly seven days and currently seems poised to finalize a contract.

O'Neill has held the role of interim boss for more than four weeks ever since the previous manager stepped down, notching six wins out of seven matches, reducing the lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership and guiding the team to Premier Sports Cup final spot.

The veteran manager, who once coached Celtic between 2000 to 2005, had already said he expected the match at Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be his final act in his return at the helm.

But, O'Neill revealed he will oversee the team in the midweek league encounter with Dens Park before Nancy takes over.

"He is the person set to be taking over," O'Neill said to TalkSport. "I believed it was over on Sunday, however there remains formalities still to be completed. Wednesday is certainly the end for me."

A Surreal Spell

"It's been unreal," O'Neill continued. "It feels like a chapter of your life that makes you wonder 'did that really happen?' Am I pleased that I took the role? Without a doubt."

Should Celtic defeat Dundee and the Jambos see off Killie in midweek, the incoming boss could potentially take Celtic to the top of the table if they win in his opening fixture in charge.

"That's a nice one for him versus Hearts," O'Neill said. "A gentle introduction. It is going to be a challenging fixture of course and I wish him all the best. At the very least he inherits a side with some self-belief."

This self-belief is a result of O'Neill's success on the field over the past five weeks, a period where he lost only once – a 3-1 loss at the Danish side in the Europa League.

However, the former Republic of Ireland national team boss along with his squad subsequently managed to achieve a first away win on the continent since way back in 2021 as they beat the Dutch club 3-1 recently.

Restoration of Confidence

"We lost by them," O'Neill recalled. "That proved to be a tough game – a few weeks before they mauled Forest, so that was a challenge. To travel to De Kuip and win away from home was fantastic. We have given the team a chance, with three games left to try to qualify, but that victory in Rotterdam helped restore confidence."

Future Ambitions

Upon being asked for his thoughts during his time as interim boss, O'Neill stated it has prompted thoughts about whether he desires to carry on managing in the future.

"I genuinely don't know," he said. "I will have a moment to reflect about things following Wednesday evening."

"It was not simple," he continued. "I felt apprehension about failing – that is always a big concern. I used to boast I could do the job equally as badly as a lot of other managers."

"I have learned much. I've got some great young coaches alongside me and it has served as a refresh for me in several respects, interacting with young people daily."

A Potential Advisory Position?

On the subject of if he might remain with the club as an advisor, the former Leicester, Villa and Ireland boss stated this is entirely up to Nancy.

"That is solely for Nancy to decide," O'Neill stated. "He should be given free reign. If he wants my input on matters, that is acceptable. If not, that's not a problem either. It's very much his team the moment he enters the role."

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

"Do you mean if I will cry?" O'Neill responded. "Don't be silly."