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As stated by caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is slated to be in the Celtic dugout during this weekend's Premiership fixture against Heart of Midlothian.

The manager has been engaged in advanced negotiations with Parkhead side for nearly seven days and now seems poised to finalize an agreement.

Martin O'Neill has been acting as temporary gaffer for more than four weeks since Brendan Rodgers resigned, securing six victories in seven games, reducing Hearts' lead of the league table while also steering the team to Premier Sports Cup place in the final.

The veteran manager, who previously managed Celtic between 2000 and 2005, had already said he believed the visit to Hibernian – a 2-1 victory – was likely to be the last game of his second spell at the helm.

However, O'Neill revealed he is to oversee Celtic in Wednesday's league encounter against Dens Park prior to Nancy steps into the role.

"He's the man who will be arriving," O'Neill told TalkSport. "I believed my time was up on Sunday, but there remains paperwork yet to be dealt with. Wednesday will assuredly be my last match."

An Unusual Period

"This has been surreal," O'Neill continued. "It resembles a chapter of your life that makes you wonder 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I delighted to have taken it on? Without a doubt."

If Celtic defeat Dundee and the Jambos defeat Killie in midweek, Nancy could guide Celtic to summit of the table if they win during his opening fixture in charge.

"It's a good fixture for Nancy against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A nice introduction. It will be a difficult game of course but good luck to him. At the very least he inherits a side with a bit of confidence."

The team's morale is a result of the positive run on the field in the last five weeks, where he has lost only once – a 3-1 defeat at the Danish side in the Europa League.

Nevertheless, the ex- Republic of Ireland national team boss along with his squad subsequently managed to claim a first victory on the road in Europe since 2021 as they beat Feyenoord 3-1 recently.

Restoration of Confidence

"We lost by them," O'Neill said. "That was a difficult match – a few weeks before they mauled Forest, making it a challenge. To go to De Kuip and win on their patch was fantastic. We have given ourselves a chance, there are three games left to try to qualify, however, the Feyenoord game helped restore belief."

What Comes Next

Upon being asked for his thoughts during his time as caretaker, O'Neill stated it has prompted consideration about whether he would like to carry on in management going forward.

"I honestly am unsure," he admitted. "I will have a wee think about things after the match on Wednesday."

"It was not simple," he continued. "There was the fear of failing – which is an ever-present major worry. I used to boast I could do the job equally as badly as many other managers."

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

Consultancy Role?

On the subject of if he might remain with the club as an advisor, the former Leicester City, Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland manager stated this is entirely the decision of Nancy.

"That decision is solely for Nancy to make," O'Neill stated. "He should be given full autonomy. If he wants my input on things, that's fine. If he doesn't, that's not a problem at all. It's very much his team the minute he steps into the breach."

Presenter Jim White ended the interview if O'Neill if he would be emotional or sentimental when the final whistle sounded on Wednesday.

"Are you asking if I will get tearful?" O'Neill replied. "Please don't be ridiculous."