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As stated by interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy will be in the Celtic dugout for this weekend's Scottish Premiership clash versus Hearts.

The manager has been involved in detailed discussions with Parkhead side for almost seven days and now appears ready to complete a contract.

O'Neill has been acting as temporary gaffer for more than four weeks since Brendan Rodgers departed, notching six victories out of seven games, narrowing the lead at the top in the league table while also steering the club to League Cup place in the final.

The veteran manager, who once coached the club from 2000 to 2005, had already indicated he expected the visit to Easter Road – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be his final act in his return at the helm.

Yet, O'Neill revealed he will oversee Celtic in the midweek league encounter with Dens Park prior to Nancy takes over.

"He's the individual who will be taking over," O'Neill told the radio station. "I assumed my time was up on Sunday, but there remains paperwork yet to be dealt with. The Dundee game will assuredly be my last match."

An Unusual Period

"It's been like a dream," he added. "It resembles a part of your life that makes you wonder 'did that really happen?' Am I happy that I've done it? Most certainly."

Should Celtic beat their opponents and the Jambos see off Killie in midweek, the incoming boss could potentially take Celtic to the top of the Premiership with a victory in his first match in charge.

"It's a good fixture for Nancy versus Hearts," O'Neill said. "A good way to start. It will be a challenging fixture naturally and I wish him well. At least he inherits a team full of confidence."

This self-belief stems from the interim manager's results on the field over the past five weeks, where he has suffered just one defeat – a 3-1 loss at Midtjylland during Europa League.

However, the former Republic of Ireland manager and his players then bounced back to achieve their first away win on the continent since 2021 as they beat the Dutch club 3-1 last week.

Rebuilding Belief

"We were defeated by them," O'Neill recalled. "That was a difficult match – a couple of weeks earlier they thrashed Forest, so that was a challenge. To go to De Kuip and secure a victory on their patch was excellent. We have given the team an opportunity, there are three matches remaining to attempt qualification, however, the Feyenoord game was a restoration of belief."

What Comes Next

Upon being asked for his thoughts during his spell as caretaker, O'Neill says it has led to consideration on if he desires to continue managing in the future.

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

"It was not simple," he continued. "I felt apprehension about failing – that is an ever-present big concern. I once joked that I was capable of doing the job just as poorly as a lot of other gaffers."

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

A Potential Advisory Position?

On the subject of whether he will stay with the club in a consultancy role, the former Leicester, Villa and Ireland boss says that is entirely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That is really for the new boss to decide," O'Neill stated. "He must be given full autonomy. If he wants my input on things, that is acceptable. If he doesn't, that's not a problem at all. It becomes his squad the minute he enters the breach."

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

"Do you mean if I will get tearful?" O'Neill responded. "Please don't be silly."