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As stated by interim boss Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach is slated to be on the Celtic touchline for this weekend's Premiership fixture against Heart of Midlothian.

The manager has been part of serious talks with Parkhead side for nearly a week and currently looks set to complete an agreement.

Martin O'Neill has held the role of temporary gaffer for over four weeks since Brendan Rodgers stepped down, notching six victories out of seven games, narrowing Hearts' lead in the Scottish Premiership and guiding the team to a League Cup place in the final.

The 73-year-old, who previously managed the club between 2000 to 2005, had already indicated he expected the match at Hibernian – a 2-1 victory – would be his final act of his second stint at the helm.

But, O'Neill revealed he is to oversee Celtic for the midweek league encounter against Dundee before Wilfried Nancy steps into the role.

"He's the person set to be coming in," O'Neill told the radio station. "I thought my time was up last weekend, however there remains formalities still to be dealt with. The Dundee game is certainly the end for me."

An Unusual Period

"It's been surreal," O'Neill continued. "It feels like a chapter of your life that makes you wonder 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I delighted to have taken it on? Without a doubt."

If the Hoops defeat their opponents while the Jambos defeat Kilmarnock in midweek, Nancy could guide his new club to the top of the table if they win in his debut game as manager.

"That's a good fixture for Nancy versus Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A nice introduction. It will be a tough match naturally but I wish him well. At least he's getting a team full of confidence."

This self-belief stems from the positive run on the field in the last month or so, where he has lost only once – a three-one loss at Midtjylland in the Europa League.

However, the former Republic of Ireland national team boss along with his squad were then able to achieve their first away win in Europe since 2021 by defeating Feyenoord 3-1 last week.

A Confidence Boost

"We were defeated to them," O'Neill recalled. "That proved to be a tough game – a couple of weeks earlier they mauled Nottingham Forest, making it difficult. To go to Feyenoord and secure a victory on their patch was fantastic. We have given ourselves an opportunity, with three games remaining to attempt qualification, but that victory in Rotterdam was a restoration of confidence."

What Comes Next

Upon being asked for his thoughts on his time as interim boss, O'Neill says it has led to thoughts on if he desires to continue managing in the future.

"I honestly am unsure," he admitted. "I will have a moment to reflect about things following the match on Wednesday."

"It wasn't easy," he added. "I felt a fear of failure – that is always a big concern. I once joked I could do the job just as poorly as a lot of other managers."

"I have learned much. I've got some excellent young coaches working with me and it's been a reinvigoration personally in several respects, working with young people daily."

Consultancy Role?

Regarding whether he will stay with the club as an advisor, the former Leicester, Villa and Ireland manager says that is completely up to Nancy.

"That is really for the new boss to make," O'Neill said. "He must be given free reign. Should he desire my input on matters, that is acceptable. If he doesn't, that's not a problem either. It becomes his team the moment he steps into the breach."

TalkSport host the interviewer ended the interview if O'Neill whether he might get emotional or sentimental once the final whistle sounded on Wednesday.

"Do you mean am I going to get tearful?" O'Neill replied. "Don't be stupid."