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According to caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy will be in the Celtic dugout for this weekend's Scottish Premiership match against Heart of Midlothian.

The head coach has been engaged in serious talks with the Parkhead side for nearly seven days and now looks set to complete a deal.

O'Neill has served as temporary gaffer for more than four weeks ever since the previous manager departed, securing six victories out of seven games, cutting into Hearts' lead of the Scottish Premiership and guiding the Parkhead outfit to a League Cup final spot.

The veteran manager, a former boss of the club between 2000 and 2005, had previously suggested he believed Sunday's visit to Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – would be his final act of his second stint at the helm.

But, O'Neill revealed he is to manage Celtic for the midweek Premiership match against Dundee prior to Wilfried Nancy steps into the role.

"He is the man who will be coming in," stated O'Neill to TalkSport. "I thought my time was up last weekend, however there's some formalities yet to be dealt with. The Dundee game will assuredly be my final game."

A Bizarre Experience

"It's been like a dream," O'Neill continued. "It feels like a chapter in one's life where you think 'did all of that really happen?' Am I pleased that I've done it? Without a doubt."

Should Celtic defeat their opponents while Hearts overcome Kilmarnock in midweek, the incoming boss could potentially take Celtic to summit of the table with a victory during his debut game in charge.

"It's a decent start for Nancy versus Hearts," O'Neill said. "A good way to start. It will be a difficult game naturally and I wish him well. At least he inherits a team full of self-belief."

This self-belief stems from O'Neill's success during games over the past month or so, where he has lost only once – a three-one loss away to Midtjylland during European competition.

Nevertheless, the ex- Irish national team boss and his players subsequently managed to secure a first victory on the road in Europe since way back in 2021 as they beat Feyenoord 3-1 last week.

Rebuilding Belief

"We were defeated to them," O'Neill said. "That was a hard fixture – a couple of weeks earlier they mauled Forest, making it a challenge. To go to Feyenoord and secure a victory away from home was excellent. We've given the team a chance, there are three games remaining to try to qualify, but that Feyenoord game helped restore belief."

What Comes Next

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

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

"It was challenging," he continued. "I felt apprehension about failing – which is an ever-present big concern. I once joked I could do the job equally as badly as many other gaffers."

"I've learned much. I have had some excellent young coaches working with me and it has served as a refresh for me in several respects, working with young players every day."

Consultancy Role?

On the subject of whether he will stay at Celtic in a consultancy role, the ex- Leicester, Villa and Ireland manager says that is entirely the decision of Wilfried Nancy.

"That decision is solely for the incoming manager to decide," O'Neill stated. "He must be given free reign. If he wants my input on matters, that is acceptable. If he doesn't, that's not a problem at all. It's very much his squad the minute he steps into the role."

Presenter Jim White ended the interview if O'Neill if he would be emotional or sentimental once the full-time whistle blew on Wednesday.

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