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According to interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be on the Celtic touchline during Sunday's Premiership fixture against Heart of Midlothian.

The manager has been part of serious talks with the Glasgow club for almost seven days and now looks set to complete a deal.

O'Neill has been acting as caretaker manager for more than a month since the previous manager stepped down, notching six wins out of seven games, cutting into the lead at the top in the Scottish Premiership while also steering the team to a Premier Sports Cup place in the final.

The 73-year-old, who once coached Celtic from 2000 and 2005, had previously suggested he believed Sunday's match at Hibernian – a 2-1 victory – would be the last game of his second spell in charge.

Yet, O'Neill stated he is to oversee the team for the midweek Premiership match with Dens Park before Wilfried Nancy takes over.

"He is the person who will be arriving," O'Neill said to TalkSport. "I believed it was over on Sunday, however there's some formalities still to be completed. The Dundee game is certainly my last match."

A Bizarre Experience

"It's been surreal," 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? Most certainly."

Should Celtic defeat their opponents while Hearts see off Killie in midweek, Nancy could lead Celtic to summit of the Premiership if they win during his opening fixture as manager.

"It's a decent start for him versus Hearts," O'Neill said. "A gentle introduction. It will be a tough match of course and I wish him all the best. At least he inherits a side with some self-belief."

The team's morale is a result of the positive run during games in the last five weeks, a period where he lost only once – a 3-1 loss away to Midtjylland during Europa League.

Nevertheless, the former Irish national team boss and his players subsequently managed to achieve a first victory on the road on the continent since way back in 2021 as they beat the Dutch club 3-1 recently.

Restoration of Confidence

"We lost by Midtjylland," O'Neill said. "That was a difficult match – a few weeks before they defeated Nottingham Forest, so that was difficult. To travel to Feyenoord and win away from home was fantastic. We have given ourselves a chance, there are three games left to attempt qualification, however, the victory in Rotterdam was a restoration of confidence."

Future Ambitions

When asked for his reflections during his time as interim boss, O'Neill says it has led to consideration on if he would like to continue in management in the future.

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

"It wasn't easy," he continued. "I felt the fear of failing – which is always a major worry. I once joked I could do the job equally as badly as many other managers."

"I have learned much. I have had some excellent coaching staff alongside me and it has served as a reinvigoration for me in several respects, dealing with young people daily."

Consultancy Role?

On the subject of if he might remain at Celtic as an advisor, the ex- Leicester City, Aston Villa and Ireland manager stated this is entirely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That is solely for the new boss to decide," O'Neill said. "He should be given full autonomy. If he wants my input on things, that's fine. If not, that is okay at all. It's very much his squad the moment he enters the role."

Presenter the interviewer concluded by asking if O'Neill if he would be emotional once the final whistle blew in the Dundee game.

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