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Per the words of interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy will be in the Celtic dugout during Sunday's Scottish Premiership fixture against Heart of Midlothian.

The head coach has been involved in advanced negotiations with the Glasgow club for almost a week and currently looks set to complete a contract.

O'Neill has held the role of caretaker manager for over four weeks ever since Brendan Rodgers departed, achieving six victories out of seven games, narrowing the lead at the top in the league table and guiding the team to a League Cup final spot.

The 73-year-old, who once coached Celtic from 2000 to 2005, had already said he believed Sunday's trip to Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be the last game of his second stint in charge.

But, O'Neill stated he is to oversee Celtic in the midweek Premiership match against Dens Park prior to Wilfried Nancy takes over.

"He is the person who will be coming in," O'Neill told TalkSport. "I believed it was over last weekend, however there remains paperwork still to be dealt with. Wednesday will definitely be my last match."

A Bizarre Experience

"This has been like a dream," O'Neill continued. "It's like a chapter of your life where you think 'did that really happen?' Am I delighted that I took the role? Absolutely."

If Celtic beat Dundee and the Jambos see off Kilmarnock in midweek, the incoming boss could guide Celtic to the top of the Premiership with a victory during his opening fixture in charge.

"That's a good fixture for him versus Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A good way to start. It is going to be a challenging fixture naturally but good luck to him. At least he inherits a side with some self-belief."

That confidence stems from the positive run during games over the past month or so, a period where he suffered just one defeat – a three-one loss at the Danish side during Europa League.

Nevertheless, the ex- Irish manager along with his squad then bounced back to secure a first away win on the continent since 2021 by defeating Feyenoord 3-1 last week.

Restoration of Confidence

"We were defeated by Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That was a difficult match – a couple of weeks before they defeated Forest, making it difficult. To go to De Kuip and win on their patch was fantastic. We have given the team a chance, there are three games remaining to attempt qualification, but that Feyenoord game was a restoration of confidence."

Future Ambitions

When asked for his thoughts on his spell as interim boss, O'Neill stated it has prompted consideration on if he desires to carry on managing in the future.

"I genuinely don't know," he said. "I'll take a moment to reflect on everything after the match on Wednesday."

"It was not simple," he continued. "There was apprehension about failing – which is always a big concern. I once joked that I was capable of doing this job equally as badly as a lot of other gaffers."

"I have learned much. I have had some great young coaches alongside me and it has served as a new lease on life personally in several respects, working with young people every day."

A Potential Advisory Position?

Regarding whether he will stay with the club as an advisor, the ex- Leicester, Villa and Republic of Ireland boss says that is entirely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That is really for the new boss to make," O'Neill said. "He must be given free reign. If he wants my opinion on things, that's fine. If not, that's not a problem at all. It becomes his team the minute he enters the role."

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

"Do you mean am I going to cry?" O'Neill replied. "Don't be ridiculous."