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As stated by interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy will be on the Celtic touchline during this weekend's Scottish Premiership fixture against Heart of Midlothian.

The head coach has been part of advanced negotiations with the Parkhead side for almost a week and now seems poised to finalize an agreement.

O'Neill has been acting as interim boss for over a month ever since the previous manager departed, notching six wins in seven matches, cutting into Hearts' lead of the Scottish Premiership and guiding the Parkhead outfit to League Cup place in the final.

The 73-year-old, a former boss of the club from 2000 to 2005, had already said he thought Sunday's trip to Easter Road – a 2-1 victory – was likely to be the last game in his second stint in charge.

However, O'Neill revealed he will lead the team in the midweek Premiership match against Dens Park prior to Nancy steps into the role.

"He's the person set to be coming in," O'Neill said to the radio station. "I believed my time was up on Sunday, but there's some formalities yet to be dealt with. Wednesday will definitely be the end for me."

A Surreal Spell

"This has been like a dream," he added. "It feels like a chapter in one's life that makes you wonder 'did that really happen?' Am I pleased that I took the role? Absolutely."

If Celtic beat Dundee and Hearts overcome Killie in midweek, Nancy could lead Celtic to summit of the table if they win during his debut game in charge.

"It's a good fixture for him versus Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A nice introduction. It will be a challenging fixture naturally but I wish him well. At the very least he inherits a side with a bit of self-belief."

The team's morale stems from O'Neill's success on the field over the past month or so, where he has lost only once – a three-one loss away to Midtjylland in the European competition.

However, the ex- Irish national team boss and his players subsequently managed to achieve their first victory on the road on the continent since 2021 as they beat the Dutch club 3-1 recently.

Restoration of Confidence

"We were defeated by Midtjylland," O'Neill said. "That was a hard fixture – a few weeks earlier they defeated Nottingham Forest, so that was difficult. To travel to Feyenoord and secure a victory away from home was fantastic. We have given ourselves a chance, with three matches remaining to attempt qualification, but that victory in Rotterdam helped restore confidence."

Future Ambitions

When asked for his reflections during his spell as caretaker, O'Neill stated it has led to consideration on if he desires to carry on in management going forward.

"I genuinely don't know," he admitted. "I will have a moment to reflect on everything following the match on Wednesday."

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

"I've learned a lot. I have had some great coaching staff alongside me and it has served as a reinvigoration personally in several respects, interacting with young players every day."

Consultancy Role?

Regarding whether he will stay at Celtic in a consultancy role, the former Leicester City, Villa and Republic of Ireland boss says that is entirely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That decision is really for Nancy to decide," O'Neill stated. "He must be allowed his own space. If he wants my input on things, that's fine. If not, that is perfectly fine either. It's very much his team the moment he enters the job."

Presenter Jim White concluded by asking by asking O'Neill whether he might get emotional once the final whistle blew in the Dundee game.

"Do you mean am I going to get tearful?" O'Neill replied. "Please don't be stupid."