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As stated by caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy will be leading Celtic for this weekend's Premiership match against Hearts.

The manager has been part of advanced negotiations with Glasgow club for nearly seven days and now looks set to wrap up a deal.

O'Neill has held the role of temporary gaffer for over four weeks since Brendan Rodgers resigned, achieving six victories out of seven games, narrowing the lead at the top in the Scottish Premiership and guiding the Parkhead outfit to a Premier Sports Cup place in the final.

The 73-year-old, a former boss of the club from 2000 to 2005, had previously suggested he thought the visit to Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be the last game in his second stint in charge.

However, O'Neill revealed he will oversee Celtic for Wednesday's league encounter with Dens Park prior to Wilfried Nancy takes over.

"He is the individual who will be arriving," stated O'Neill to TalkSport. "I believed it was over last weekend, however there remains paperwork still to be completed. The Dundee game will definitely be my last match."

A Surreal Spell

"It has been surreal," O'Neill continued. "It feels like a part in one's life where you think 'did that really happen?' Am I delighted to have taken it on? Absolutely."

Should the Hoops defeat Dundee while the Jambos overcome Killie on Wednesday, the incoming boss could potentially take Celtic to summit of the table with a victory in his first match in charge.

"It's a good fixture for him versus Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A nice introduction. It will be a tough match naturally and I wish him well. At least he's getting a team with a bit of self-belief."

This self-belief stems from the positive run in matches in the last month or so, where he has suffered just one defeat – a three-one defeat away to Midtjylland during European competition.

However, the ex- Irish national team boss and his players were then able to secure a first away win on the continent since 2021 by defeating Feyenoord 3-1 last week.

Rebuilding Belief

"We were defeated by them," O'Neill said. "That proved to be a hard fixture – a few weeks earlier they thrashed Forest, making it a challenge. To travel to De Kuip and secure a victory away from home was terrific. We have given the team an opportunity, with three games remaining to attempt qualification, however, the Feyenoord game was key for confidence."

Thoughts on the Future

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

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

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

"I have learned much. I have had some excellent young coaches alongside me and it has served as a refresh for me in many ways, working with young players every day."

Consultancy Role?

Regarding whether he will stay with the club in a consultancy role, the ex- Leicester City, Villa and Republic of Ireland manager says that is entirely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That decision is solely for the incoming manager to make," O'Neill stated. "He should be given free reign. Should he desire my input on things, that is acceptable. If not, that is perfectly fine at all. It's very much his squad the moment he steps into the role."

Presenter Jim White ended the interview if O'Neill if he would be emotional when the full-time whistle blew on Wednesday.

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