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According to interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is slated to be in the Celtic dugout during this weekend's Scottish Premiership match versus Heart of Midlothian.

The head coach has been involved in serious talks with the Parkhead side for nearly seven days and now seems poised to wrap up a deal.

Martin O'Neill has held the role of temporary gaffer for more than a month ever since Brendan Rodgers departed, securing six victories out of seven matches, narrowing Hearts' lead of the Scottish Premiership while also steering the team to a League Cup place in the final.

The 73-year-old, who once coached the club from 2000 and 2005, had already indicated he thought the trip to Easter Road – a 2-1 victory – would be the last game in his return at the helm.

But, the interim boss disclosed he is to manage the team for the midweek Premiership match with Dundee before Wilfried Nancy steps into the role.

"He's the person who will be arriving," O'Neill said to the radio station. "I thought my time was up last weekend, but there's some paperwork still to be dealt with. Wednesday will assuredly be my last match."

A Surreal Spell

"It has been unreal," O'Neill continued. "It resembles a chapter in one's life where you think 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I delighted that I took the role? Most certainly."

If the Hoops beat Dundee and Hearts defeat Killie in midweek, Nancy could potentially take Celtic to the top of the Premiership with a victory in his opening fixture in charge.

"It's a good fixture for Nancy versus Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A good way to start. It will be a challenging fixture of course but good luck to him. At the very least he inherits a side full of self-belief."

That confidence comes from the interim manager's results on the field over the past month or so, where he has lost only once – a 3-1 loss away to the Danish side during Europa League.

However, the former Republic of Ireland national team boss and his players were then able to achieve a first away win on the continent since way back in 2021 with a win over the Dutch club 3-1 last week.

Restoration of Confidence

"We were defeated by Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That was a difficult match – a couple of weeks earlier they thrashed Nottingham Forest, so that was a challenge. To go to De Kuip and secure a victory away from home was terrific. We have given the team a chance, there are three games left to try to qualify, however, the victory in Rotterdam was a restoration of belief."

Thoughts on the Future

When asked for his thoughts during his spell as caretaker, O'Neill says it has prompted thoughts on if he would like to carry on in management going forward.

"I honestly don't know," he admitted. "I will have a wee think on everything after the match on Wednesday."

"It was challenging," he continued. "There was the fear of failing – which is always a major worry. I used to boast that I was capable of doing the job equally as badly as a lot of other managers."

"I have learned a lot. I've got some great coaching staff alongside me and it's been a refresh personally in several respects, interacting with young players every day."

Consultancy Role?

On the subject of if he might remain with the club as an advisor, the former Leicester City, Aston Villa and Ireland manager stated this is entirely the decision of Wilfried Nancy.

"That is really for Nancy to make," O'Neill stated. "He must be given full autonomy. Should he desire my input on matters, that is acceptable. If not, that's not a problem at all. It's very much his team the moment he steps into the job."

TalkSport host the interviewer ended the interview by asking O'Neill if he would be emotional or sentimental once the final whistle sounded on Wednesday.

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