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Per the words of interim boss Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach will be on the Celtic touchline during Sunday's Scottish Premiership clash against Heart of Midlothian.

The manager has been part of serious talks with the Glasgow club for nearly seven days and now seems poised to finalize a contract.

Martin O'Neill has served as interim boss for more than a month ever since the previous manager resigned, achieving six wins out of seven matches, narrowing Hearts' lead in the Scottish Premiership and guiding the Parkhead outfit to Premier Sports Cup place in the final.

The veteran manager, who previously managed Celtic between 2000 and 2005, had previously suggested he believed the trip to Easter Road – which ended in a 2-1 win – would be his final act in his return in charge.

But, O'Neill stated he is to lead the team in the midweek league encounter with Dens Park before Nancy takes over.

"He is the man set to be taking over," stated O'Neill to TalkSport. "I thought my time was up last weekend, but there remains paperwork still to be sorted. Wednesday is certainly my final game."

An Unusual Period

"It's been like a dream," O'Neill continued. "It feels like a chapter in one's life where you think 'did all of that really happen?' Am I happy that I took the role? Absolutely."

Should the Hoops defeat Dundee while Hearts overcome Killie in midweek, Nancy could guide Celtic to summit of the table if they win in his first match in charge.

"It's a decent start for him against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A good way to start. It will be a challenging fixture naturally but I wish him all the best. At least he inherits a team with some confidence."

The team's morale is a result of the positive run during games over the past month or so, a period where he suffered just one defeat – a three-one loss at Midtjylland during European competition.

However, the former Irish national team boss along with his squad were then able to claim a first away win on the continent since way back in 2021 by defeating Feyenoord 3-1 recently.

A Confidence Boost

"We were defeated by Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That was a tough game – a few weeks before they thrashed Nottingham Forest, so that was a challenge. To go to De Kuip and win on their patch was fantastic. We've given ourselves a chance, with three games left to attempt qualification, however, the victory in Rotterdam was key for belief."

Future Ambitions

Upon being asked for his thoughts on his spell as caretaker, O'Neill says it has prompted thoughts on if he would like to continue managing going forward.

"I genuinely don't know," he said. "I'll take a moment to reflect about things following the match on Wednesday."

"It was not simple," he continued. "I felt a fear of failure – that is an ever-present major worry. I once joked I could do the job equally as badly as many other managers."

"I have learned much. I've got some excellent young coaches working with me and it's been a new lease on life for me in several respects, interacting with young players daily."

Consultancy Role?

On the subject of if he might remain with the club in a consultancy role, the former Leicester City, Villa and Republic of 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 advice on matters, that's fine. If not, that is okay at all. It's very much his squad the moment he enters the job."

TalkSport host Jim White ended the interview by asking O'Neill if he would be emotional when the final whistle blew on Wednesday.

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