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According to interim boss Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach is expected to be on the Celtic touchline for Sunday's Premiership clash versus Heart of Midlothian.

The head coach has been part of serious talks with the Parkhead side for nearly a week and now looks set to finalize a deal.

O'Neill has been acting as interim boss for over a month ever since the previous manager resigned, achieving six wins out of seven matches, narrowing Hearts' lead in the league table while also steering the Parkhead outfit to a Premier Sports Cup final spot.

The veteran manager, who once coached the club from 2000 to 2005, had previously suggested he believed the visit to Hibernian – a 2-1 victory – would be his final act in his second stint at the helm.

Yet, O'Neill stated he is to oversee Celtic for the midweek league encounter against Dundee prior to Wilfried Nancy takes over.

"He's the man who will be arriving," O'Neill said to TalkSport. "I assumed it was over on Sunday, but there remains paperwork still to be dealt with. The Dundee game will assuredly be my final game."

A Surreal Spell

"This has been surreal," O'Neill continued. "It feels like a part of your life that makes you wonder 'did that actually occur?' Am I delighted to have taken it on? Without a doubt."

If the Hoops defeat Dundee and the Jambos overcome Killie on Wednesday, Nancy could guide Celtic to the top of the table with a victory in his debut game in charge.

"That's a decent start for Nancy against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A good way to start. It is going to be a tough match naturally but I wish him all the best. At least he inherits a side with a bit of self-belief."

The team's morale is a result of the positive run during games over the past five weeks, where he has suffered just one defeat – a three-one loss away to Midtjylland in the Europa League.

Nevertheless, the former Republic of Ireland manager and his players then bounced back to achieve a first away win in Europe since way back in 2021 with a win over the Dutch club 3-1 recently.

Rebuilding Belief

"We lost by them," O'Neill said. "That proved to be a hard fixture – a few weeks before they thrashed Nottingham Forest, so that was a challenge. To go to Feyenoord and win away from home was fantastic. We have given ourselves an opportunity, with three matches remaining to attempt qualification, but that victory in Rotterdam was a restoration of confidence."

Future Ambitions

Upon being asked for his thoughts during his time as interim boss, O'Neill stated it has prompted consideration about whether he would like to continue in management in the future.

"I honestly don't know," he admitted. "I will have a wee think about things after Wednesday evening."

"It was not simple," he added. "There was apprehension about failing – which 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 managers."

"I have learned a lot. I've got some great young coaches alongside me and it's been a reinvigoration personally in several respects, interacting with young people daily."

A Potential Advisory Position?

On the subject of if he might remain with the club in a consultancy role, the ex- Leicester City, Villa and Ireland boss says that is completely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That decision is really for the incoming manager to decide," O'Neill stated. "He should be allowed his own space. If he wants my opinion on matters, that is acceptable. If he doesn't, that is perfectly fine at all. It's very much his squad the moment he enters the job."

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

"Do you mean am I going to get tearful?" O'Neill responded. "Don't be stupid."