🔗 Share this article

Per the words of interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy will be on the Celtic touchline for this weekend's Scottish Premiership fixture versus Hearts.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been part of advanced negotiations with Parkhead side for almost a week and currently seems poised to complete a deal.

Martin O'Neill has served as interim boss for more than four weeks ever since Brendan Rodgers resigned, securing six victories in seven games, cutting into the lead at the top of the league table while also steering the team to League Cup final spot.

The veteran manager, a former boss of Celtic between 2000 and 2005, had already said he thought the visit to Hibernian – a 2-1 victory – would be his final act of his return at the helm.

Yet, O'Neill revealed he is to manage the team for the midweek league encounter against Dens Park prior to Wilfried Nancy steps into the role.

"He is the man who will be arriving," O'Neill told the radio station. "I assumed my time was up on Sunday, but there's some paperwork yet to be completed. Wednesday is certainly the end for me."

An Unusual Period

"It has been surreal," O'Neill continued. "It feels like a chapter in one's life where you think 'did that really happen?' Am I happy that I took the role? Without a doubt."

If the Hoops beat Dundee while Hearts see off Killie in midweek, the incoming boss could potentially take his new club to the top of the Premiership with a victory during his first match in charge.

"That's a decent start for Nancy versus Hearts," O'Neill said. "A good way to start. It is going to be a challenging fixture naturally but I wish him all the best. At the very least he inherits a team full of self-belief."

The team's morale comes from the interim manager's results during games in the last month or so, where he has suffered just one defeat – a 3-1 defeat away to Midtjylland in the European competition.

Nevertheless, the ex- Irish manager and his players subsequently managed to secure their first away win in Europe since way back in 2021 as they beat the Dutch club 3-1 last week.

Rebuilding Belief

"We lost by them," O'Neill said. "That was a difficult match – a couple of weeks earlier they defeated Nottingham Forest, making it difficult. To go to Feyenoord and win away from home was excellent. We've given the team a chance, there are three matches remaining to attempt qualification, however, the Feyenoord game helped restore belief."

What Comes Next

When asked for his thoughts during his time as caretaker, O'Neill stated it has prompted consideration about whether he would like to continue managing going forward.

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

"It was not simple," he added. "I felt a fear of failure – that is always a major worry. I once joked I could do this job equally as badly as a lot of other managers."

"I have learned a lot. I've got some great young coaches alongside me and it has served as a refresh personally in several respects, interacting with young people daily."

A Potential Advisory Position?

Regarding whether he will stay with the club in a consultancy role, the former Leicester City, Aston Villa and Ireland boss says that is entirely the decision of Nancy.

"That is solely for the new boss to decide," O'Neill said. "He should be allowed his own space. Should he desire my input on matters, that is acceptable. If not, that's not a problem either. It becomes his squad the minute he steps into the breach."

TalkSport host Jim White concluded by asking by asking O'Neill whether he might get emotional when the final whistle sounded in the Dundee game.

"Are you asking if I will cry?" O'Neill responded. "Don't be silly."