🔗 Share this article

As stated by interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy will be leading Celtic during this weekend's Scottish Premiership fixture against Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's manager has been part of advanced negotiations with Parkhead side for nearly seven days and now seems poised to finalize a deal.

O'Neill has been acting as temporary gaffer for more than four weeks ever since Brendan Rodgers departed, securing six victories in seven games, cutting into the lead at the top in the league table and guiding the Parkhead outfit to League Cup final spot.

The veteran manager, a former boss of Celtic between 2000 and 2005, had already indicated he expected Sunday's trip to Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be the last game of his return at the helm.

However, the interim boss disclosed he will lead the team in Wednesday's Premiership match against Dens Park prior to Nancy steps into the role.

"He's the man who will be arriving," O'Neill said to TalkSport. "I believed it was over on Sunday, but there remains formalities still to be sorted. Wednesday will definitely be my last match."

A Bizarre Experience

"It has been surreal," O'Neill continued. "It feels like a part in one's life where you think 'did all of that really happen?' Am I pleased that I've done it? Most certainly."

If Celtic beat their opponents and Hearts defeat Kilmarnock in midweek, the incoming boss could potentially take his new club to the top of the Premiership with a victory during his first match in charge.

"It's a good fixture for Nancy versus Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A nice introduction. It will be a difficult game of course but I wish him all the best. At the very least he's getting a team with a bit of confidence."

The team's morale comes from O'Neill's success in matches in the last five weeks, a period where he lost only once – a three-one defeat at Midtjylland during European competition.

Nevertheless, the former Irish manager and his players were then able to secure their first victory on the road in Europe since way back in 2021 by defeating Feyenoord 3-1 last week.

Rebuilding Belief

"We lost by Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That proved to be a hard fixture – a couple of weeks earlier they mauled Nottingham Forest, so that was a challenge. To travel to De Kuip and secure a victory away from home was excellent. We have given the team a chance, with three games remaining to try to qualify, however, the Feyenoord game was a restoration of confidence."

Thoughts on the Future

When asked for his thoughts during his time as caretaker, O'Neill stated it has led to consideration about whether he desires to carry on in management in the future.

"I honestly am unsure," he admitted. "I will have a wee think on everything after Wednesday evening."

"It was not simple," he continued. "I felt the fear of failing – which is always a major worry. I once joked I could do this job equally as badly as a lot of other gaffers."

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

A Potential Advisory Position?

Regarding whether he will stay at Celtic as an advisor, the former Leicester, Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland manager says that is completely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That is solely for the new boss to decide," O'Neill stated. "He must be given free reign. If he wants my advice on things, that is acceptable. If not, that is okay either. It's very much his squad the moment he enters the role."

Presenter Jim White concluded by asking by asking O'Neill whether he might get emotional or sentimental when the final whistle blew in the Dundee game.

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