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Per the words of interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is slated to be in the Celtic dugout during Sunday's Scottish Premiership clash against Heart of Midlothian.

The manager has been part of serious talks with the Parkhead side for almost seven days and currently appears ready to finalize an agreement.

O'Neill has served as interim boss for over four weeks since Brendan Rodgers resigned, notching six victories in seven matches, cutting into Hearts' lead of the Scottish Premiership and guiding the Parkhead outfit to League Cup final spot.

The veteran manager, a former boss of Celtic between 2000 to 2005, had already said he believed Sunday's visit to Easter Road – a 2-1 victory – would be his final act in his second spell in charge.

But, O'Neill revealed he is to manage Celtic in Wednesday's Premiership match against Dens Park before Wilfried Nancy assumes control.

"He's the person set to be taking over," O'Neill told TalkSport. "I believed my time was up on Sunday, but there's some paperwork still to be dealt with. Wednesday is certainly my final game."

A Bizarre Experience

"It has been like a dream," O'Neill continued. "It resembles a part of your life that makes you wonder 'did that really happen?' Am I pleased that I took the role? Absolutely."

Should Celtic beat Dundee while Hearts overcome Kilmarnock on Wednesday, Nancy could lead Celtic to summit of the table with a victory in his opening fixture as manager.

"It's a nice one for Nancy versus Hearts," O'Neill said. "A gentle introduction. It is going to be a difficult game naturally but I wish him well. At least he takes over a team full of confidence."

The team's morale is a result of O'Neill's success on the field over the past five weeks, where he has lost only once – a three-one loss away to the Danish side in the European competition.

Nevertheless, the ex- Republic of Ireland national team boss along with his squad were then able to claim a first victory on the road on the continent since 2021 with a win over Feyenoord 3-1 last week.

Rebuilding Belief

"We were defeated by Midtjylland," O'Neill said. "That proved to be a hard fixture – a couple of weeks before they defeated Forest, so that was a challenge. To go to De Kuip and win away from home was fantastic. We've given the team a chance, with three games left to try to qualify, however, the Feyenoord game helped restore confidence."

Thoughts on the Future

Upon being asked for his thoughts on his spell as interim boss, O'Neill says it has prompted consideration on if he desires to carry on managing in the future.

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

"It was challenging," he continued. "There was apprehension about failing – which is always a major worry. I used to boast I could do the job equally as badly as many other managers."

"I have learned much. I have had some excellent young coaches alongside me and it has served as a new lease on life personally in several respects, working with young people every day."

Consultancy Role?

Regarding if he might remain at Celtic as an advisor, the former Leicester City, Villa and Ireland boss stated this is completely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That is really for the incoming manager to decide," O'Neill stated. "He must be given full autonomy. Should he desire my opinion on things, that is acceptable. If not, that's not a problem at all. It's very much his team the minute he steps into the role."

Presenter the interviewer concluded by asking if O'Neill whether he might get emotional or sentimental once the full-time whistle sounded in the Dundee game.

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