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Per the words of interim boss Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach is slated to be leading Celtic for this weekend's Scottish Premiership clash against Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been part of advanced negotiations with the Glasgow club for nearly a week and currently appears ready to wrap up a deal.

Martin O'Neill has been acting as caretaker manager for more than a month ever since the previous manager stepped down, securing six victories in seven matches, cutting into Hearts' lead of the Scottish Premiership and guiding the club to League Cup final spot.

The veteran manager, who previously managed Celtic from 2000 and 2005, had already indicated he thought the visit to Easter Road – a 2-1 victory – was likely to be the last game of his second stint in charge.

Yet, the interim boss disclosed he is to oversee Celtic in Wednesday's Premiership match against Dundee prior to Nancy steps into the role.

"He's the person that will be arriving," stated O'Neill to the radio station. "I assumed it was over last weekend, however there's some paperwork still to be dealt with. The Dundee game is certainly the end for me."

A Surreal Spell

"It has been like a dream," he added. "It's like a chapter in one's life that makes you wonder 'did all of that really happen?' Am I happy that I've done it? Absolutely."

Should Celtic defeat Dundee while the Jambos defeat Killie in midweek, Nancy could guide Celtic to summit of the Premiership if they win during his debut game as manager.

"That's a decent start for Nancy versus Hearts," O'Neill said. "A gentle introduction. It is going to be a tough match naturally but I wish him well. At least he inherits a side with a bit of self-belief."

The team's morale comes from O'Neill's success in matches over the past month or so, a period where he lost only once – a three-one loss at Midtjylland during Europa League.

However, the ex- Republic of Ireland national team boss and his players were then able to claim their first away win in Europe since 2021 with a win over the Dutch club 3-1 recently.

Rebuilding Belief

"We lost by them," O'Neill recalled. "That proved to be a hard fixture – a few weeks earlier they defeated Forest, so that was a challenge. To travel to De Kuip and secure a victory on their patch was fantastic. We have given the team an opportunity, there are three games left to try to qualify, however, the Feyenoord game was key for confidence."

Future Ambitions

Upon being asked for his thoughts during his spell as interim boss, O'Neill says it has led to consideration about whether he would like to continue in management going forward.

"I genuinely am unsure," he said. "I'll take a wee think on everything after the match on Wednesday."

"It was not simple," he added. "There was a fear of failure – that is always a big concern. I once joked I could do this job just as poorly as a lot of other managers."

"I've learned much. I have had some great young coaches alongside me and it has served as a reinvigoration personally in many ways, working with young people every day."

Consultancy Role?

On the subject of if he might remain at Celtic in a consultancy role, the former Leicester, Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland boss stated this is entirely the decision of Nancy.

"That is really for the new boss to decide," O'Neill said. "He must be given full autonomy. Should he desire my advice on things, that's fine. If not, that is perfectly fine either. It's very much his team the minute he enters the role."

Presenter the interviewer ended the interview if O'Neill if he would be emotional once the final whistle blew in the Dundee game.

"Do you mean if I will cry?" O'Neill replied. "Don't be silly."