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As stated by interim boss Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach is expected to be in the Celtic dugout during this weekend's Premiership clash against Hearts.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been part of serious talks with the Glasgow club for almost a week and currently looks set to complete an agreement.

O'Neill has held the role of temporary gaffer for over four weeks since Brendan Rodgers stepped down, notching six wins in seven games, reducing Hearts' lead of the league table and guiding the Parkhead outfit to Premier Sports Cup place in the final.

The 73-year-old, who previously managed Celtic between 2000 and 2005, had previously suggested he believed Sunday's trip to Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – would be his final act of his second spell in charge.

Yet, the interim boss disclosed he will oversee Celtic for Wednesday's Premiership match with Dundee prior to Wilfried Nancy assumes control.

"He's the individual set to be coming in," stated O'Neill to TalkSport. "I assumed my time was up on Sunday, but there remains formalities yet to be sorted. Wednesday is certainly my final game."

An Unusual Period

"This has been surreal," he added. "It's like a part of your life where you think 'did that really happen?' Am I delighted that I've done it? Absolutely."

Should the Hoops beat their opponents and the Jambos defeat Killie in midweek, Nancy could guide his new club to the top of the table if they win in his debut game in charge.

"It's a decent start for Nancy against Hearts," O'Neill said. "A gentle introduction. It is going to be a challenging fixture naturally and good luck to him. At the very least he's getting a side with a bit of confidence."

This self-belief comes from the positive run in matches in the last month or so, a period where he lost only once – a 3-1 defeat at the Danish side during Europa League.

Nevertheless, the former Irish manager along with his squad subsequently managed to secure a first away win on the continent since 2021 as they beat the Dutch club 3-1 recently.

Rebuilding Belief

"We were defeated by them," O'Neill said. "That was a tough game – a few weeks earlier they thrashed Nottingham Forest, so that was a challenge. To go to Feyenoord and win on their patch was fantastic. We have given the team an opportunity, there are three games remaining to try to qualify, however, the Feyenoord game was a restoration of confidence."

What Comes Next

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

"I genuinely don't know," he said. "I'll take a moment to reflect about things after the match on Wednesday."

"It was not simple," he added. "There was the fear of failing – which is always a major worry. I once joked that I was capable of doing this job just as poorly as a lot of other gaffers."

"I have learned a lot. I have had some great coaching staff working with me and it has served as a reinvigoration personally in several respects, working with young people every day."

Consultancy Role?

Regarding whether he will stay at Celtic as an advisor, the ex- Leicester City, Villa and Ireland manager says that is completely up to Nancy.

"That decision is really for the incoming manager to make," O'Neill said. "He should be given free reign. Should he desire my advice on matters, that's fine. If not, that is perfectly fine at all. It's very much his team the minute he steps into the job."

Presenter Jim White concluded by asking by asking O'Neill if he would be emotional once the final whistle sounded in the Dundee game.

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