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As stated by interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be leading Celtic during Sunday's Scottish Premiership match versus Hearts.

The manager has been involved in detailed discussions with Glasgow club for almost seven days and now seems poised to wrap up a deal.

O'Neill has served as interim boss for over a month since Brendan Rodgers departed, securing six victories in seven games, narrowing Hearts' lead of the Scottish Premiership and guiding the team to Premier Sports Cup final spot.

The 73-year-old, who once coached the club between 2000 to 2005, had previously suggested he thought the trip to Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be the last game of his return at the helm.

Yet, O'Neill stated he will oversee Celtic in the midweek league encounter against Dens Park before Nancy steps into the role.

"He's the individual who will be arriving," O'Neill told the radio station. "I assumed my time was up last weekend, but there's some paperwork yet to be dealt with. Wednesday will assuredly be the end for me."

An Unusual Period

"It's been surreal," O'Neill continued. "It resembles a chapter in one's life that makes you wonder 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I pleased that I've done it? Absolutely."

If Celtic defeat Dundee while Hearts defeat Kilmarnock in midweek, the incoming boss could lead his new club to the top of the Premiership if they win in his opening fixture in charge.

"It's a decent start for Nancy against Hearts," O'Neill said. "A gentle introduction. It will be a challenging fixture of course but I wish him all the best. At the very least he inherits a side full of confidence."

This self-belief is a result of the positive run in matches over the past five weeks, a period where he suffered just one defeat – a 3-1 loss at the Danish side during Europa League.

Nevertheless, the ex- Irish manager and his players then bounced back to secure their first away win on the continent since way back in 2021 with a win over the Dutch club 3-1 last week.

Restoration of Confidence

"We lost to Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That proved to be a tough game – a few weeks earlier they defeated Nottingham Forest, so that was a challenge. To travel to De Kuip and win on their patch was fantastic. We've given the team an opportunity, there are three games left to attempt qualification, but that Feyenoord game helped restore belief."

What Comes Next

When asked for his reflections on his spell as interim boss, O'Neill says it has prompted thoughts on if he desires to carry on managing going forward.

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

"It was not simple," he added. "There was a fear of failure – that is an ever-present major worry. I once joked that I was capable of doing this job just as poorly as many other managers."

"I have learned a lot. I've got some excellent coaching staff working with me and it has served as a refresh for me in several respects, working with young people every day."

A Potential Advisory Position?

On the subject of whether he will stay at Celtic in a consultancy role, the ex- Leicester, Aston Villa and Ireland boss stated this is entirely the decision of Wilfried Nancy.

"That is really for Nancy to decide," O'Neill said. "He should be given free reign. Should he desire my opinion on things, that is acceptable. If not, that's not a problem at all. It's very much his squad the moment he steps into the role."

TalkSport host Jim White concluded by asking if O'Neill whether he might get emotional once the full-time whistle blew in the Dundee game.

"Are you asking am I going to get tearful?" O'Neill responded. "Please don't be stupid."