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Per the words of interim boss Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach will be on the Celtic touchline for Sunday's Scottish Premiership fixture against Heart of Midlothian.

The manager has been part of detailed discussions with Glasgow club for nearly a week and now appears ready to finalize a contract.

O'Neill has served as interim boss for over a month since Brendan Rodgers stepped down, securing six wins in seven games, reducing the lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership and guiding the club to Premier Sports Cup final spot.

The 73-year-old, who once coached Celtic between 2000 to 2005, had previously suggested he believed the trip to Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be the last game in his return in charge.

However, O'Neill revealed he will lead Celtic for Wednesday's league encounter with Dundee prior to Nancy takes over.

"He is the person that will be coming in," O'Neill said to the radio station. "I believed it was over on Sunday, but there remains paperwork still to be completed. The Dundee game will assuredly be my final game."

A Bizarre Experience

"It has been surreal," he added. "It resembles a part in one's life that makes you wonder 'did that really happen?' Am I happy that I've done it? Absolutely."

Should Celtic beat Dundee and the Jambos overcome Killie on Wednesday, Nancy could guide Celtic to summit of the table with a victory in his first match as manager.

"That's a nice one for Nancy against Hearts," O'Neill said. "A nice introduction. It will be a difficult game naturally but good luck to him. At the very least he takes over a team with some self-belief."

This self-belief comes from O'Neill's success during games over the past five weeks, a period where he lost only once – a 3-1 defeat away to Midtjylland during Europa League.

Nevertheless, the former Republic of Ireland manager along with his squad then bounced back to secure their first away win on the continent since way back in 2021 by defeating the Dutch club 3-1 last week.

Rebuilding Belief

"We were defeated by Midtjylland," O'Neill said. "That proved to be a difficult match – a few weeks before they defeated Forest, so that was a challenge. To go to De Kuip and win on their patch was fantastic. We have given ourselves a chance, with three games left to attempt qualification, however, the Feyenoord game was a restoration of belief."

Future Ambitions

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

"I genuinely don't know," he said. "I will have a wee think on everything following the match on Wednesday."

"It was not simple," he continued. "There was the fear of failing – that 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 young coaches alongside me and it's been a reinvigoration personally in many ways, working with young players every day."

A Potential Advisory Position?

Regarding if he might remain at Celtic as an advisor, the former Leicester, Aston Villa and Ireland manager stated this is entirely up to Nancy.

"That is really for the new boss to decide," O'Neill said. "He should be given free reign. If he wants my input on things, that is acceptable. If he doesn't, that's not a problem either. It becomes his team the moment he enters the job."

TalkSport host the interviewer concluded by asking if O'Neill whether he might get emotional or sentimental when the final whistle blew in the Dundee game.

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