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Per the words of caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be leading Celtic for this weekend's Scottish Premiership clash versus Heart of Midlothian.

The manager has been part of serious talks with the Glasgow club for almost a week and currently seems poised to complete a contract.

O'Neill has served as interim boss for more than a month since the previous manager resigned, achieving six wins in seven games, reducing the lead at the top in the league table while also steering the Parkhead outfit to Premier Sports Cup place in the final.

The 73-year-old, who previously managed Celtic between 2000 and 2005, had already said he expected the visit to Hibernian – a 2-1 victory – was likely to be his final act of his return at the helm.

Yet, O'Neill revealed he is to manage Celtic for the midweek league encounter against Dundee prior to Nancy assumes control.

"He is the man who will be arriving," stated O'Neill to the radio station. "I assumed my time was up last weekend, however there's some formalities still to be sorted. The Dundee game will assuredly be my final game."

A Surreal Spell

"It has been surreal," O'Neill continued. "It's like a part in one's life where you think 'did that actually occur?' Am I happy that I've done it? Most certainly."

If the Hoops defeat Dundee while the Jambos see off Kilmarnock in midweek, Nancy could potentially take his new club to the top of the Premiership if they win during his first match in charge.

"It's a nice one for Nancy against Hearts," O'Neill said. "A good way to start. It is going to be a difficult game naturally and I wish him all the best. At the very least he takes over a side with some confidence."

The team's morale is a result of the positive run on the field in the last month or so, where he has lost only once – a three-one loss at the Danish side during Europa League.

Nevertheless, the former Republic of Ireland national team boss and his players subsequently managed to claim their first away win in Europe since way back in 2021 with a win over Feyenoord 3-1 recently.

A Confidence Boost

"We lost by Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That was a hard fixture – a couple of weeks before they mauled Forest, making it a challenge. To go to Feyenoord and secure a victory away from home was excellent. We've given ourselves an opportunity, there are three games left to attempt qualification, but that Feyenoord game helped restore belief."

Future Ambitions

When asked for his thoughts during his spell as interim boss, O'Neill stated it has prompted consideration on if he desires to continue in management in the future.

"I genuinely am unsure," he admitted. "I'll take a moment to reflect about things after the match on Wednesday."

"It was challenging," he added. "I felt apprehension about failing – that is an ever-present big concern. I once joked I could do this job just as poorly as a lot of other gaffers."

"I've learned a lot. I have had some great coaching staff working with me and it's been a refresh personally in many ways, dealing with young people daily."

Consultancy Role?

Regarding whether he will stay with the club as an advisor, the former Leicester, Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland boss stated this is entirely up to Nancy.

"That is solely for Nancy to decide," O'Neill stated. "He must be allowed his own space. If he wants my opinion on matters, that's fine. If not, that is okay either. It becomes his team the moment he enters the role."

Presenter Jim White concluded by asking if O'Neill whether he might get emotional when the full-time whistle blew in the Dundee game.

"Do you mean am I going to cry?" O'Neill responded. "Don't be ridiculous."