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As stated by caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be leading Celtic for Sunday's Scottish Premiership match versus Heart of Midlothian.

The manager has been part of advanced negotiations with Glasgow club for almost seven days and currently appears ready to finalize an agreement.

O'Neill has served as interim boss for more than four weeks since Brendan Rodgers departed, notching six victories out of seven games, reducing Hearts' lead in the Scottish Premiership and guiding the team to Premier Sports Cup place in the final.

The 73-year-old, who previously managed Celtic between 2000 to 2005, had already said he expected Sunday's match at Easter Road – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be the last game of his second stint at the helm.

Yet, the interim boss disclosed he will oversee the team for the midweek league encounter against Dens Park before Nancy takes over.

"He is the person who will be coming in," O'Neill said to the radio station. "I assumed it was over on Sunday, however there's some formalities yet to be dealt with. Wednesday will definitely be the end for me."

A Surreal Spell

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

If Celtic beat their opponents while Hearts defeat Killie in midweek, Nancy could guide Celtic to the top of the table with a victory in his debut game in charge.

"It's a good fixture for Nancy against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A nice introduction. It is going to be a challenging fixture naturally and I wish him well. At least he's getting a team with some self-belief."

This self-belief comes from O'Neill's success in matches over the past five weeks, where he has suffered just one defeat – a 3-1 loss at the Danish side in the European competition.

However, the former Republic of Ireland manager and his players were then able to achieve their first away win on the continent since 2021 with a win over the Dutch club 3-1 recently.

Restoration of Confidence

"We were defeated to Midtjylland," O'Neill said. "That was a difficult match – a couple of weeks earlier they thrashed Nottingham Forest, so that was difficult. To travel to Feyenoord and secure a victory on their patch was fantastic. We've given ourselves an opportunity, with three matches remaining to attempt qualification, however, the Feyenoord game was a restoration of belief."

Future Ambitions

Upon being asked for his thoughts during his spell as interim boss, O'Neill stated it has led to consideration on if he desires to carry on managing going forward.

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

"It was challenging," he continued. "There was apprehension about failing – that is always a major worry. I used to boast that I was capable of doing this job equally as badly as many other managers."

"I have learned a lot. I have had some great young coaches alongside me and it's been a refresh for me in many ways, dealing with young people daily."

A Potential Advisory Position?

Regarding whether he will stay at Celtic in a consultancy role, the former Leicester, Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland boss says that is completely the decision of Wilfried Nancy.

"That is solely for the new boss to decide," O'Neill stated. "He must be allowed his own space. If he wants my advice on things, that's fine. If he doesn't, that is okay either. It's very much his team the moment he steps into the role."

TalkSport host Jim White ended the interview if O'Neill whether he might get emotional or sentimental once the final whistle sounded in the Dundee game.

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