Wilfried Nancy Is Set to Lead of Celtic in the Coming Days - O'Neill

According to caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is slated to be in the Celtic dugout for Sunday's Scottish Premiership match versus Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been part of serious talks with the Parkhead side for almost a week and now seems poised to finalize a contract.

O'Neill has held the role of interim boss for over a month since Brendan Rodgers departed, achieving six wins in seven matches, narrowing Hearts' lead of the league table and guiding the club to League Cup place in the final.

The 73-year-old, who previously managed Celtic between 2000 and 2005, had already said he believed the visit to Easter Road – which ended in a 2-1 win – would be the last game in his second spell in charge.

But, O'Neill stated he is to oversee the team for Wednesday's Premiership match against Dens Park before Nancy assumes control.

"He's the individual who will be arriving," O'Neill told TalkSport. "I believed my time was up last weekend, but there's some paperwork still to be completed. The Dundee game will assuredly be my last match."

An Unusual Period

"It's been like a dream," he added. "It's like a part in one's life where you think 'did that really happen?' Am I happy that I took the role? Without a doubt."

Should the Hoops beat Dundee while the Jambos overcome Kilmarnock on Wednesday, Nancy could lead Celtic to summit of the Premiership if they win in his opening fixture as manager.

"It's a good fixture for Nancy against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A nice introduction. It will be a tough match of course but good luck to him. At the very least he takes over a team with a bit of self-belief."

This self-belief stems from O'Neill's success in matches in the last month or so, a period where he lost only once – a three-one defeat at the Danish side in the European competition.

However, the ex- Irish national team boss along with his squad subsequently managed to secure their first away win in Europe since 2021 by defeating the Dutch club 3-1 last week.

A Confidence Boost

"We lost to them," O'Neill said. "That proved to be a tough game – a couple of weeks earlier they thrashed Nottingham Forest, so that was difficult. To travel to Feyenoord and secure a victory on their patch was fantastic. We have given ourselves a chance, with three games left to try to qualify, however, the Feyenoord game helped restore belief."

What Comes Next

Upon being asked for his thoughts during his spell as caretaker, O'Neill stated it has prompted thoughts about whether he would like to carry on managing in the future.

"I honestly am unsure," he said. "I will have a little think about things after Wednesday evening."

"It wasn't easy," he continued. "There was apprehension about failing – which is an ever-present big concern. I used to boast I could do this job just as poorly as many other managers."

"I've learned a lot. I've got some great coaching staff alongside me and it has served as a reinvigoration for me in several respects, dealing with young people daily."

A Potential Advisory Position?

On the subject of if he might remain at Celtic in a consultancy role, the former Leicester City, Aston Villa and Ireland boss stated this is entirely up to Nancy.

"That decision is solely for the incoming manager to make," O'Neill stated. "He must be given free reign. Should he desire my input on matters, that's fine. If he doesn't, that is perfectly fine either. It becomes his squad the moment he enters the role."

Presenter the interviewer ended the interview if O'Neill whether he might get emotional or sentimental once the final whistle blew in the Dundee game.

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