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According to interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be on the Celtic touchline for this weekend's Scottish Premiership fixture against Heart of Midlothian.

The head coach has been part of serious talks with the Glasgow club for nearly seven days and currently appears ready to complete a contract.

O'Neill has been acting as caretaker manager for more than a month ever since Brendan Rodgers departed, achieving six wins out of seven matches, narrowing the lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership while also steering the Parkhead outfit to a League Cup final spot.

The veteran manager, a former boss of the club between 2000 to 2005, had already indicated he believed the match at Easter Road – which ended in a 2-1 win – would be the last game in his second spell in charge.

But, O'Neill revealed he will manage Celtic in Wednesday's league encounter with Dens Park before Nancy assumes control.

"He's the person who will be coming in," O'Neill said to TalkSport. "I thought it was over last weekend, however there's some paperwork yet to be dealt with. Wednesday will definitely be my final game."

A Surreal Spell

"It has been surreal," O'Neill continued. "It's like a part in one's life where you think 'did that actually occur?' Am I pleased to have taken it on? Absolutely."

Should Celtic beat their opponents while Hearts overcome Kilmarnock in midweek, Nancy could guide Celtic to the top of the table if they win in his debut game as manager.

"It's a decent start for Nancy versus Hearts," O'Neill said. "A good way to start. It will be a difficult game of course and good luck to him. At least he's getting a side full of confidence."

The team's morale stems from the interim manager's results in matches over the past month or so, a period where he suffered just one defeat – a three-one defeat at the Danish side during Europa League.

Nevertheless, the former Irish national team boss along with his squad then bounced back to achieve their first victory on the road in Europe since way back in 2021 with a win over Feyenoord 3-1 recently.

Restoration of Confidence

"We were defeated by them," O'Neill recalled. "That was a difficult match – a couple of weeks before they mauled Forest, making it a challenge. To go to Feyenoord and secure a victory on their patch was fantastic. We have given ourselves a chance, with three games left to try to qualify, however, the victory in Rotterdam helped restore belief."

Future Ambitions

Upon being asked for his thoughts during his spell as interim boss, O'Neill says it has led to thoughts on if he desires to continue in management going forward.

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

"It was not simple," he continued. "There was the fear of failing – that is an ever-present major worry. I used to boast I could do this job just as poorly as a lot of other managers."

"I've learned much. I've got some great coaching staff working with me and it's been a refresh personally in many ways, interacting with young players every day."

Consultancy Role?

On the subject of if he might remain at Celtic as an advisor, the former Leicester City, Aston Villa and Ireland manager says that is completely up to Nancy.

"That decision is solely for the new boss to make," O'Neill stated. "He should be allowed his own space. Should he desire my advice on matters, that's fine. If not, that's not a problem either. It becomes his team the minute he enters the breach."

Presenter Jim White concluded by asking by asking O'Neill whether he might get emotional when the final whistle blew on Wednesday.

"Do you mean if I will get tearful?" O'Neill replied. "Don't be ridiculous."