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According to interim boss Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach is slated to be on the Celtic touchline for this weekend's Premiership clash against Hearts.

The head coach has been involved in serious talks with the Glasgow club for nearly seven days and currently seems poised to finalize a contract.

O'Neill has held the role of caretaker manager for more than a month since Brendan Rodgers departed, notching six victories in seven games, narrowing the lead at the top in the Scottish Premiership while also steering the team to a Premier Sports Cup final spot.

The veteran manager, who previously managed Celtic from 2000 and 2005, had already said he expected the visit to Hibernian – a 2-1 victory – would be his final act of his second spell at the helm.

But, O'Neill stated he will lead the team in Wednesday's league encounter with Dundee prior to Wilfried Nancy assumes control.

"He is the man set to be arriving," stated O'Neill to the radio station. "I thought my time was up on Sunday, but there's some formalities yet to be dealt with. Wednesday is certainly my last match."

A Bizarre Experience

"It's been surreal," O'Neill continued. "It's like a part of your life that makes you wonder 'did that really happen?' Am I happy that I've done it? Absolutely."

If the Hoops beat Dundee while Hearts see off Kilmarnock in midweek, Nancy could guide Celtic to the top of the Premiership with a victory in his opening fixture in charge.

"It's a nice one for Nancy versus Hearts," O'Neill said. "A nice introduction. It is going to be a difficult game naturally but I wish him all the best. At the very least he takes over a side with some confidence."

This self-belief stems from O'Neill's success on the field over the past five weeks, where he has suffered just one defeat – a 3-1 loss at Midtjylland in the Europa League.

Nevertheless, the former Republic of Ireland manager along with his squad subsequently managed to achieve their first away win on the continent since way back in 2021 with a win over Feyenoord 3-1 recently.

Rebuilding Belief

"We lost to them," O'Neill recalled. "That was a tough game – a couple of weeks before they thrashed Nottingham Forest, so that was difficult. To go to Feyenoord and secure a victory on their patch was terrific. We've given ourselves an opportunity, with three games left to attempt qualification, however, the Feyenoord game helped restore confidence."

What Comes Next

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

"I genuinely am unsure," he admitted. "I'll take a wee think on everything following the match on Wednesday."

"It wasn't easy," he continued. "There was a fear of failure – which is always a major worry. I used to boast I could do this job just as poorly as many other managers."

"I've learned much. I have had some excellent coaching staff working with me and it's been a reinvigoration for me in many ways, interacting with young people daily."

A Potential Advisory Position?

On the subject of whether he will stay with the club as an advisor, the former Leicester, Aston Villa and Ireland boss says that is entirely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That is really for the new boss to make," O'Neill stated. "He should be given free reign. If he wants my opinion on things, that's fine. If he doesn't, that's not a problem either. It becomes his team the moment he steps into the role."

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

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