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According to interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is slated to be leading Celtic for this weekend's Scottish Premiership clash versus Heart of Midlothian.

The head coach has been part of advanced negotiations with Glasgow club for nearly seven days and now appears ready to wrap up an agreement.

O'Neill has served as caretaker manager for more than four weeks since the previous manager departed, securing six victories in seven matches, cutting into the lead at the top in the league table while also steering the Parkhead outfit to League Cup final spot.

The veteran manager, who previously managed the club from 2000 to 2005, had already said he believed the visit to Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be his final act in his second spell in charge.

However, the interim boss disclosed he will manage the team in Wednesday's Premiership match against Dundee prior to Wilfried Nancy takes over.

"He's the man who will be taking over," O'Neill told TalkSport. "I believed my time was up on Sunday, however there's some paperwork yet to be dealt with. The Dundee game will definitely be the end for me."

An Unusual Period

"This has been unreal," O'Neill continued. "It feels like a part in one's life where you think 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I delighted that I've done it? Absolutely."

If the Hoops defeat Dundee while Hearts see off Kilmarnock on Wednesday, the incoming boss could lead Celtic to the top of the table if they win during his debut game as manager.

"That's a decent start for him versus Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A good way to start. It will be a difficult game of course and I wish him well. At the very least he's getting a team with some self-belief."

That confidence is a result of O'Neill's success on the field in the last month or so, a period where he lost only once – a 3-1 loss away to the Danish side in the Europa League.

However, the former Irish national team boss and his players then bounced back to claim a first victory on the road in Europe since way back in 2021 with a win over the Dutch club 3-1 recently.

Restoration of Confidence

"We lost to Midtjylland," O'Neill said. "That was a difficult match – a couple of weeks before they mauled Forest, so that was difficult. To go to De Kuip and win away from home was excellent. We have given the team a chance, with three matches remaining to attempt qualification, however, the victory in Rotterdam helped restore belief."

Future Ambitions

When asked for his reflections on his spell as interim boss, O'Neill says it has led to consideration about whether he desires to carry on managing in the future.

"I genuinely don't know," he admitted. "I will have a moment to reflect about things after the match on Wednesday."

"It was challenging," he continued. "There was a fear of failure – which is always a major worry. I once joked I could do the job equally as badly as many other managers."

"I have learned a lot. I've got some great young coaches working with me and it's been a new lease on life personally in many ways, dealing with young people daily."

Consultancy Role?

On the subject of whether he will stay at Celtic in a consultancy role, the former Leicester City, Villa and Republic of Ireland manager stated this is entirely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That decision is really for the new boss to make," O'Neill stated. "He should be allowed his own space. If he wants my opinion on things, that's fine. If not, that's not a problem at all. It's very much his squad the moment he enters the breach."

TalkSport host Jim White ended the interview if O'Neill if he would be emotional once the full-time whistle sounded in the Dundee game.

"Are you asking am I going to get tearful?" O'Neill responded. "Please don't be stupid."