Wilfried Nancy Is Set to Lead of Celtic This Week - O'Neill

According to caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach will be leading Celtic for this weekend's Scottish Premiership fixture against Heart of Midlothian.

The head coach has been part of detailed discussions with Parkhead side for nearly seven days and currently appears ready to complete an agreement.

Martin O'Neill has held the role of interim boss for more than four weeks ever since the previous manager departed, notching six victories out of seven matches, reducing Hearts' lead in the league table and guiding the club to a Premier Sports Cup final spot.

The veteran manager, who once coached Celtic from 2000 and 2005, had already indicated he thought Sunday's trip to Easter Road – a 2-1 victory – was likely to be his final act in his second spell at the helm.

However, the interim boss disclosed he will oversee the team for the midweek league encounter against Dundee prior to Wilfried Nancy takes over.

"He is the man who will be coming in," O'Neill told TalkSport. "I believed it was over last weekend, however there remains paperwork yet to be completed. Wednesday will assuredly be the end for me."

A Bizarre Experience

"This has been unreal," he added. "It feels like a chapter of your life that makes you wonder 'did all of that really happen?' Am I pleased that I took the role? Without a doubt."

If Celtic beat their opponents and the Jambos defeat Killie in midweek, the incoming boss could potentially take his new club to the top of the Premiership with a victory in his debut game as manager.

"That's a nice one for him versus Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A gentle introduction. It will be a challenging fixture of course but I wish him well. At the very least he's getting a side with a bit of confidence."

That confidence stems from the positive run during games in the last month or so, where he has lost only once – a three-one defeat at Midtjylland during Europa League.

Nevertheless, the ex- Republic of Ireland national team boss along with his squad subsequently managed to claim a first away win in Europe since 2021 with a win over the Dutch club 3-1 last week.

Restoration of Confidence

"We lost by them," O'Neill recalled. "That proved to be a tough game – a couple of weeks before they thrashed Nottingham Forest, making it difficult. To travel to Feyenoord and win away from home was fantastic. We have given the team a chance, with three games left to try to qualify, however, the Feyenoord game was key for belief."

Future Ambitions

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

"I honestly don't know," he admitted. "I'll take a little think about things following Wednesday evening."

"It wasn't easy," he continued. "There was apprehension about failing – that is an ever-present major worry. I used to boast that I was capable of doing the job equally as badly as a lot of other gaffers."

"I've learned a lot. I've got some excellent coaching staff alongside me and it's been a reinvigoration for me in several respects, interacting 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 boss stated this is entirely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That decision is really for the new boss to make," O'Neill stated. "He should be given free reign. If he wants my opinion on matters, that is acceptable. If he doesn't, that's not a problem at all. It becomes his team the moment he enters the breach."

Presenter the interviewer concluded by asking by asking O'Neill if he would be emotional or sentimental once the full-time whistle sounded on Wednesday.

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