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Per the words of caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be on the Celtic touchline for this weekend's Scottish Premiership fixture against Heart of Midlothian.

The manager has been engaged in serious talks with Glasgow club for almost a week and now seems poised to complete a contract.

O'Neill has been acting as caretaker manager for more than four weeks ever since the previous manager departed, achieving six wins out of seven matches, cutting into Hearts' lead in the league table and guiding the Parkhead outfit to Premier Sports Cup final spot.

The veteran manager, who once coached the club between 2000 and 2005, had already said he expected the match at Easter Road – a 2-1 victory – was likely to be the last game of his second stint at the helm.

But, O'Neill revealed he will manage the team for Wednesday's Premiership match against Dundee before Wilfried Nancy takes over.

"He's the person that will be taking over," stated O'Neill to TalkSport. "I assumed my time was up last weekend, but there remains paperwork still to be completed. The Dundee game will assuredly be the end for me."

A Surreal Spell

"It's 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? Absolutely."

Should Celtic beat Dundee while the Jambos overcome Kilmarnock in midweek, the incoming boss could potentially take Celtic to summit of the table with a victory during his debut game as manager.

"That's a nice one for Nancy against Hearts," O'Neill said. "A good way to start. It will be a tough match naturally and I wish him well. At least he takes over a team with some self-belief."

This self-belief comes from the interim manager's results during games in the last month or so, where he has suffered just one defeat – a 3-1 defeat away to the Danish side during Europa League.

However, the former Irish national team boss and his players subsequently managed to achieve a first away win in Europe since way back in 2021 as they beat the Dutch club 3-1 last week.

Restoration of Confidence

"We lost to them," O'Neill recalled. "That proved to be a difficult match – a couple of weeks earlier they mauled Nottingham Forest, making it difficult. To travel to Feyenoord and win away from home was terrific. We've given the team a chance, with three matches left to try to qualify, but that Feyenoord game was key for confidence."

What Comes Next

Upon being asked for his reflections on his spell as interim boss, O'Neill stated it has led to thoughts on if he would like to carry on managing in the future.

"I genuinely don't know," he admitted. "I will have a little think on everything after the match on Wednesday."

"It wasn't easy," he added. "I felt the fear of failing – which is an ever-present big concern. I used to boast that I was capable of doing the job just as poorly as many other managers."

"I've learned much. I've got some great young coaches alongside me and it's been a reinvigoration for me in many ways, working with young players daily."

Consultancy Role?

Regarding whether he will stay at Celtic in a consultancy role, the former Leicester, Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland manager stated this is entirely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That is solely for the incoming manager to make," O'Neill said. "He should be given free reign. Should he desire my advice on things, that's fine. If not, that is perfectly fine at all. It's very much his team the moment he steps into the breach."

Presenter Jim White concluded by asking if O'Neill whether he might get emotional once the full-time whistle blew on Wednesday.

"Do you mean if I will cry?" O'Neill responded. "Please don't be ridiculous."