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According to caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be leading Celtic during this weekend's Premiership match versus Hearts.

The head coach has been engaged in advanced negotiations with Parkhead side for almost seven days and currently looks set to complete a contract.

O'Neill has been acting as temporary gaffer for over a month ever since Brendan Rodgers resigned, securing six wins out of seven matches, narrowing the lead at the top in the Scottish Premiership while also steering the team to League Cup final spot.

The 73-year-old, a former boss of Celtic from 2000 and 2005, had already indicated he believed Sunday's visit to Hibernian – a 2-1 victory – was likely to be the last game of his second stint at the helm.

However, the interim boss disclosed he will manage Celtic for the midweek Premiership match against Dens Park before Wilfried Nancy steps into the role.

"He is the man that will be coming in," O'Neill said to the radio station. "I thought it was over last weekend, but there remains formalities still to be sorted. The Dundee game is certainly my final game."

A Surreal Spell

"This has been surreal," he added. "It feels like a part of your life that makes you wonder 'did that really happen?' Am I happy that I took the role? Absolutely."

If Celtic defeat Dundee while Hearts see off Kilmarnock in midweek, Nancy could guide Celtic to summit of the Premiership if they win in his debut game as manager.

"That's a nice one for Nancy against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A gentle introduction. It will be a challenging fixture of course and I wish him well. At the very least he inherits a team full of self-belief."

The team's morale comes from the interim manager's results in matches over the past month or so, where he has lost only once – a 3-1 loss at the Danish side during Europa League.

However, the former Republic of Ireland manager along with his squad then bounced back to secure their first away win on the continent since 2021 with a win over Feyenoord 3-1 recently.

Rebuilding Belief

"We lost to Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That was a tough game – a few weeks earlier they thrashed Forest, making it a challenge. To travel to De Kuip and win away from home was excellent. We've given the team a chance, there are three matches remaining to try to qualify, however, the victory in Rotterdam was a restoration of confidence."

What Comes Next

Upon being asked for his thoughts on his spell as caretaker, O'Neill stated it has prompted thoughts about whether he would like to continue managing going forward.

"I honestly am unsure," he said. "I'll take a wee think about things after Wednesday evening."

"It was challenging," he added. "There was a fear of failure – which is always a major worry. I once joked that I was capable of doing this job just as poorly as a lot of other managers."

"I've learned a lot. I've got some great coaching staff alongside me and it's been a refresh personally in many ways, interacting with young people every day."

Consultancy Role?

Regarding whether he will stay at Celtic as an advisor, the former Leicester City, Aston Villa and Ireland boss says that is completely the decision of Wilfried Nancy.

"That is really for Nancy to make," O'Neill stated. "He must be allowed his own space. Should he desire my opinion on matters, that is acceptable. If he doesn't, that is okay at all. It's very much his squad the minute he steps into the job."

TalkSport host the interviewer ended the interview by asking O'Neill if he would be emotional when the full-time whistle sounded on Wednesday.

"Do you mean am I going to cry?" O'Neill responded. "Please don't be ridiculous."