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According to caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach is expected to be leading Celtic for Sunday's Scottish Premiership clash against Heart of Midlothian.

The manager has been part of detailed discussions with Parkhead side for nearly seven days and currently looks set to complete a deal.

Martin O'Neill has been acting as caretaker manager for over a month since Brendan Rodgers departed, securing six victories out of seven games, narrowing Hearts' lead of the league table while also steering the Parkhead outfit to a Premier Sports Cup final spot.

The 73-year-old, a former boss of the club from 2000 to 2005, had already indicated he believed Sunday's visit to Hibernian – a 2-1 victory – would be his final act of his second stint in charge.

Yet, O'Neill stated he is to manage the team in the midweek league encounter against Dundee prior to Wilfried Nancy takes over.

"He's the individual set to be coming in," O'Neill told the radio station. "I believed it was over last weekend, but there remains paperwork yet to be sorted. The Dundee game is certainly the end for me."

A Surreal Spell

"It's 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 took the role? Most certainly."

Should the Hoops defeat Dundee and Hearts see off Kilmarnock in midweek, the incoming boss could potentially take Celtic to summit of the Premiership with a victory during his debut game in charge.

"It's a nice one for Nancy versus Hearts," O'Neill said. "A good way to start. It will be a tough match naturally and I wish him all the best. At the very least he inherits a team with some self-belief."

The team's morale comes from the interim manager's results on the field over the past five weeks, where he has lost only once – a three-one loss at the Danish side in the European competition.

However, the ex- Republic of Ireland national team boss along with his squad were then able to achieve a first away win in Europe since way back in 2021 by defeating the Dutch club 3-1 last week.

Restoration of Confidence

"We lost by Midtjylland," O'Neill said. "That proved to be a hard fixture – a few weeks before they thrashed Nottingham Forest, so that was difficult. To go to De Kuip and secure a victory on their patch was terrific. We have given ourselves an opportunity, with three matches remaining to try to qualify, but that Feyenoord game was key for belief."

Future Ambitions

When asked for his thoughts on his spell as caretaker, O'Neill stated it has led to thoughts about whether he would like to continue managing going forward.

"I honestly am unsure," he said. "I will have a wee think on everything after the match on Wednesday."

"It was challenging," he added. "I felt apprehension about failing – that is always a big concern. I once joked that I was capable of doing this job just as poorly as a lot of other gaffers."

"I've learned a lot. I have had some great young coaches working with me and it's been a new lease on life for me in several respects, working with young people daily."

A Potential Advisory Position?

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

"That is solely for the incoming manager to decide," O'Neill stated. "He should be allowed his own space. Should he desire my opinion on matters, that is acceptable. If not, that is perfectly fine either. It's very much his squad the moment he enters the role."

TalkSport host the interviewer ended the interview by asking O'Neill if he would be emotional once the full-time whistle sounded on Wednesday.

"Are you asking am I going to cry?" O'Neill replied. "Please don't be ridiculous."