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According to caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach is expected to be on the Celtic touchline for this weekend's Scottish Premiership match versus Hearts.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been part of serious talks with the Glasgow club for nearly seven days and now looks set to complete a contract.

O'Neill has served as temporary gaffer for over a month since the previous manager departed, achieving six wins in seven matches, cutting into Hearts' lead in the league table and guiding the Parkhead outfit to a Premier Sports Cup place in the final.

The 73-year-old, a former boss of Celtic between 2000 to 2005, had already said he thought Sunday's match at Easter Road – a 2-1 victory – would be the last game in his return at the helm.

But, O'Neill stated he will lead Celtic in the midweek league encounter against Dundee before Nancy assumes control.

"He is the individual that will be arriving," O'Neill said to TalkSport. "I believed my time was up last weekend, but there remains paperwork still to be sorted. The Dundee game will definitely be the end for me."

A Surreal Spell

"This has been surreal," he added. "It's like a chapter in one's life that makes you wonder 'did all of that really happen?' Am I happy that I've done it? Without a doubt."

If Celtic defeat their opponents while the Jambos defeat Kilmarnock on Wednesday, Nancy could guide Celtic to summit of the Premiership with a victory in his debut game as manager.

"It's a nice one for him against Hearts," O'Neill said. "A gentle introduction. It will be a difficult game of course and good luck to him. At the very least he's getting a side with a bit of confidence."

This self-belief stems from O'Neill's success in matches over the past five weeks, a period where he lost only once – a 3-1 defeat at Midtjylland in the Europa League.

Nevertheless, the former Republic of Ireland national team boss and his players were then able to claim a first victory on the road on the continent since way back in 2021 as they beat Feyenoord 3-1 recently.

A Confidence Boost

"We lost to them," O'Neill recalled. "That was a hard fixture – a couple of weeks before they thrashed Forest, so that was a challenge. To go to De Kuip and win on their patch was terrific. We've given ourselves an opportunity, there are three matches left to try to qualify, however, the victory in Rotterdam was a restoration of belief."

Future Ambitions

When asked for his thoughts on his time as interim boss, O'Neill stated it has prompted consideration about whether he desires to carry on managing in the future.

"I genuinely don't know," he said. "I will have a wee think on everything after the match on Wednesday."

"It wasn't easy," he continued. "There was the fear of failing – that is always a big concern. I used to boast I could do the job equally as badly as a lot of other managers."

"I have learned a lot. I've got some excellent young coaches alongside me and it's been a reinvigoration for me in many ways, dealing with young people every day."

Consultancy Role?

Regarding if he might remain at Celtic in a consultancy role, the ex- Leicester City, Aston Villa and Ireland manager stated this is entirely the decision of Wilfried Nancy.

"That is really for the incoming manager to decide," O'Neill said. "He must be given full autonomy. If he wants my advice on matters, that is acceptable. If not, that is okay at all. It becomes his team the minute he steps into the role."

TalkSport host Jim White concluded by asking by asking O'Neill if he would be emotional or sentimental when the final whistle blew in the Dundee game.

"Do you mean if I will get tearful?" O'Neill replied. "Don't be ridiculous."