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Per the words of caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach will be on the Celtic touchline during Sunday's Scottish Premiership match versus Hearts.

The manager has been engaged in serious talks with Glasgow club for nearly seven days and now appears ready to finalize a deal.

O'Neill has served as caretaker manager for more than four weeks ever since the previous manager departed, achieving six wins out of seven matches, reducing the lead at the top in the Scottish Premiership while also steering the team to Premier Sports Cup final spot.

The 73-year-old, who previously managed Celtic from 2000 to 2005, had already said he thought the visit to Easter Road – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be the last game of his second stint in charge.

Yet, O'Neill revealed he is to oversee the team for Wednesday's Premiership match with Dens Park prior to Wilfried Nancy takes over.

"He is the individual that will be taking over," stated O'Neill to TalkSport. "I believed it was over last weekend, however there remains formalities yet to be dealt with. The Dundee game will assuredly be the end for me."

An Unusual Period

"It has been unreal," O'Neill continued. "It's like a chapter in one's life that makes you wonder 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I pleased to have taken it on? Without a doubt."

Should the Hoops defeat their opponents while the Jambos defeat Kilmarnock on Wednesday, the incoming boss could potentially take Celtic to summit of the table with a victory in his debut game in charge.

"It's a nice one for Nancy against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A nice introduction. It is going to be a challenging fixture naturally but good luck to him. At the very least he's getting a team with a bit of confidence."

That confidence comes from the interim manager's results on the field in the last month or so, a period where he lost only once – a 3-1 loss at the Danish side in the Europa League.

However, the ex- Republic of Ireland national team boss and his players were then able to secure 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 Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That was a hard fixture – a couple of weeks earlier they thrashed Forest, so that was difficult. To go to De Kuip and secure a victory on their patch was terrific. We've given ourselves a chance, with three games left to try to qualify, but that Feyenoord game was key for confidence."

What Comes Next

When asked for his thoughts during his spell as caretaker, O'Neill says it has prompted thoughts about whether he would like to carry on managing in the future.

"I honestly don't know," he admitted. "I will have a wee think about things after Wednesday evening."

"It was challenging," he continued. "I felt apprehension about failing – which is an ever-present big concern. I used to boast I could do this job equally as badly as many other managers."

"I've learned a lot. I have had some great young coaches alongside me and it's been a new lease on life for me in several respects, working with young players daily."

Consultancy Role?

Regarding whether he will stay with the club in a consultancy role, the former Leicester, Villa and Ireland boss says that is completely up to Nancy.

"That is solely for Nancy to decide," O'Neill said. "He must be given full autonomy. If he wants my input on things, that's fine. If he doesn't, that is okay at all. It becomes his team the moment he steps into the job."

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

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