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According to caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy will be in the Celtic dugout for this weekend's Scottish Premiership fixture against Hearts.

The manager has been involved in serious talks with the Glasgow club for almost seven days and currently looks set to wrap up a contract.

O'Neill has served as caretaker manager for over four weeks ever since the previous manager stepped down, achieving six victories in seven matches, cutting into the lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership and guiding the club to a League Cup place in the final.

The veteran manager, who once coached the club between 2000 to 2005, had already said he expected the match at Easter Road – a 2-1 victory – was likely to be the last game of his return in charge.

However, the interim boss disclosed he will lead Celtic for the midweek league encounter against Dundee prior to Nancy takes over.

"He's the individual set to be taking over," O'Neill said to the radio station. "I believed my time was up on Sunday, but there's some formalities yet to be sorted. Wednesday will definitely be the end for me."

A Bizarre Experience

"It's been unreal," O'Neill continued. "It's like a part in one's life that makes you wonder 'did that actually occur?' Am I delighted to have taken it on? Most certainly."

If Celtic defeat Dundee and the Jambos overcome Kilmarnock on Wednesday, Nancy could potentially take Celtic to the top of the table with a victory in his opening fixture in charge.

"That's a nice one for him versus Hearts," O'Neill said. "A good way to start. It will be a challenging fixture of course but I wish him well. At the very least he's getting a team with some confidence."

The team's morale comes from the positive run on the field in the last month or so, where he has lost only once – a 3-1 loss at the Danish side during Europa League.

However, the ex- Republic of Ireland national team boss and his players subsequently managed to claim a first away win on the continent since way back in 2021 by defeating Feyenoord 3-1 last week.

Rebuilding Belief

"We were defeated to them," O'Neill recalled. "That was a difficult match – a couple of weeks earlier they defeated Forest, so that was a challenge. To travel to Feyenoord and secure a victory away from home was terrific. We have given ourselves a chance, with three matches remaining to attempt qualification, however, the Feyenoord game was a restoration of confidence."

What Comes Next

When asked for his thoughts on his time as interim boss, O'Neill stated it has prompted consideration about whether he would like to continue managing going forward.

"I honestly am unsure," he said. "I'll take a wee think on everything following Wednesday evening."

"It was challenging," he continued. "There was a fear of failure – which is always a big concern. I once joked I could do this job just as poorly as many other gaffers."

"I have learned much. I have had some great coaching staff alongside me and it has served as a new lease on life personally in many ways, working with young players daily."

Consultancy Role?

On the subject of if he might remain at Celtic in a consultancy role, the ex- Leicester, Villa and Republic of Ireland manager stated this is completely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That decision is really for Nancy to decide," O'Neill said. "He should be allowed his own space. If he wants my advice on things, that's fine. If not, that's not a problem either. It becomes his squad the minute he enters the role."

TalkSport host the interviewer ended the interview if O'Neill if he would be emotional when the final whistle sounded in the Dundee game.

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