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Per the words of caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be in the Celtic dugout for this weekend's Scottish Premiership fixture against Hearts.

The head coach has been involved in serious talks with Parkhead side for almost seven days and now appears ready to wrap up a deal.

O'Neill has served as interim boss for more than four weeks ever since Brendan Rodgers departed, achieving six wins in seven games, reducing the lead at the top of the league table while also steering the Parkhead outfit to a League Cup place in the final.

The veteran manager, a former boss of Celtic between 2000 and 2005, had previously suggested he believed Sunday's trip to Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be the last game in his second stint at the helm.

Yet, O'Neill stated he is to oversee the team for the midweek league encounter against Dundee before Nancy takes over.

"He is the man who will be arriving," O'Neill told the radio station. "I assumed my time was up on Sunday, but there's some paperwork still to be completed. The Dundee game is certainly the end for me."

A Surreal Spell

"It has been unreal," O'Neill continued. "It resembles a chapter of your life where you think 'did that actually occur?' Am I pleased to have taken it on? Most certainly."

If Celtic defeat their opponents and Hearts defeat Killie on Wednesday, Nancy could lead Celtic to the top of the table if they win during his debut game in charge.

"It's a nice one for him against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A nice introduction. It will be a challenging fixture naturally but I wish him all the best. At the very least he takes over a team full of confidence."

This self-belief comes from O'Neill's success in matches in the last five weeks, a period where he lost only once – a 3-1 loss away to the Danish side in the Europa League.

However, the ex- Republic of Ireland manager along with his squad then bounced back to achieve their first victory on the road in Europe since 2021 with a win over Feyenoord 3-1 recently.

Rebuilding Belief

"We lost to Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That was a difficult match – a few weeks before they thrashed Forest, so that was a challenge. To travel to Feyenoord and win away from home was terrific. We've given ourselves a chance, with three games remaining to try to qualify, however, the victory in Rotterdam was key for belief."

What Comes Next

When asked for his reflections on his spell as caretaker, O'Neill stated it has prompted thoughts about whether he desires to continue in management in the future.

"I genuinely don't know," he said. "I will have a moment to reflect about things after Wednesday evening."

"It wasn't easy," he continued. "There was apprehension about failing – that is always a major worry. I once joked that I was capable of doing this job just as poorly as many other managers."

"I've learned much. I've got some excellent young coaches alongside me and it's been a new lease on life personally in several respects, working with young people every day."

Consultancy Role?

On the subject of if he might remain at Celtic as an advisor, the ex- Leicester City, Aston Villa and Ireland boss says that is entirely the decision of Wilfried Nancy.

"That is solely for the new boss to decide," O'Neill stated. "He must be given full autonomy. If he wants my input on things, that is acceptable. If not, that is perfectly fine either. It's very much his team the moment he steps into the breach."

TalkSport host Jim White ended the interview if O'Neill whether he might get emotional when the final whistle blew in the Dundee game.

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