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According to interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy will be on the Celtic touchline during Sunday's Premiership fixture against Heart of Midlothian.

The head coach has been involved in advanced negotiations with the Parkhead side for almost seven days and currently appears ready to finalize a deal.

Martin O'Neill has been acting as temporary gaffer for over a month ever since Brendan Rodgers stepped down, achieving six victories out of seven matches, cutting into the lead at the top of the league table while also steering the club to a Premier Sports Cup final spot.

The 73-year-old, who once coached the club between 2000 to 2005, had previously suggested he thought the trip to Hibernian – a 2-1 victory – was likely to be his final act of his second spell in charge.

However, the interim boss disclosed he is to manage Celtic for Wednesday's league encounter with Dundee prior to Nancy steps into the role.

"He is the person set to be taking over," stated O'Neill to the radio station. "I thought my time was up last weekend, but there's some formalities still to be dealt with. The Dundee game is certainly the end for me."

A Surreal Spell

"This has been like a dream," O'Neill continued. "It's like a part in one's life that makes you wonder 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I delighted that I've done it? Without a doubt."

Should Celtic defeat their opponents while the Jambos defeat Killie on Wednesday, Nancy could potentially take Celtic to the top of the Premiership if they win during his first match in charge.

"That's a nice one for Nancy versus Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A nice introduction. It will be a challenging fixture naturally but I wish him all the best. At the very least he inherits a side with a bit of confidence."

That confidence comes from the positive run in matches over the past month or so, where he has suffered just one defeat – a 3-1 loss at Midtjylland during European competition.

Nevertheless, the former Republic of Ireland national team boss and his players then bounced back to secure their first victory on the road in Europe since 2021 with a win over the Dutch club 3-1 recently.

Rebuilding Belief

"We were defeated by Midtjylland," O'Neill said. "That proved to be a tough game – a couple of weeks earlier they defeated Forest, so that was difficult. To travel to De Kuip and win on their patch was fantastic. We have given the team an opportunity, there are three matches left to attempt qualification, however, the victory in Rotterdam was key for confidence."

What Comes Next

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

"I genuinely don't know," he admitted. "I'll take a little think on everything after Wednesday evening."

"It was not simple," he continued. "I felt a fear of failure – that is an ever-present major worry. I used to boast that I was capable of doing the job equally as badly as a lot of other gaffers."

"I have learned much. I've got some great young coaches alongside me and it has served as a refresh personally in many ways, working with young people daily."

Consultancy Role?

Regarding whether he will stay at Celtic as an advisor, the former Leicester City, Villa and Ireland boss stated this is completely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That decision is really for the incoming manager to make," O'Neill said. "He should be given free reign. Should he desire my input on matters, that is acceptable. If he doesn't, that's not a problem at all. It becomes his squad the minute he steps into the role."

TalkSport host the interviewer ended the interview by asking O'Neill whether he might get emotional or sentimental when the final whistle sounded in the Dundee game.

"Are you asking am I going to cry?" O'Neill responded. "Please don't be silly."