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As stated by interim boss Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach will be on the Celtic touchline for Sunday's Scottish Premiership fixture versus Hearts.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been engaged in detailed discussions with Glasgow club for nearly seven days and now seems poised to finalize an agreement.

Martin O'Neill has been acting as temporary gaffer for more than a month since Brendan Rodgers resigned, achieving six wins in seven games, cutting into Hearts' lead in the league table while also steering the team to Premier Sports Cup place in the final.

The 73-year-old, a former boss of Celtic from 2000 to 2005, had already said he expected the match at Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – would be the last game of his second spell in charge.

Yet, O'Neill revealed he is to lead the team in the midweek league encounter with Dundee before Nancy assumes control.

"He is the man that will be coming in," stated O'Neill to TalkSport. "I thought my time was up last weekend, however there's some formalities still to be sorted. Wednesday will definitely be the end for me."

A Surreal Spell

"It has been surreal," O'Neill continued. "It's like a part of your life that makes you wonder 'did that really happen?' Am I happy that I took the role? Without a doubt."

Should Celtic defeat Dundee and the Jambos see off Killie on Wednesday, Nancy could lead Celtic to the top of the table if they win in his first match as manager.

"It's a good fixture for him against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A nice introduction. It is going to be a difficult game of course and I wish him well. At least he's getting a team with a bit of confidence."

That confidence stems from the interim manager's results in matches over the past five weeks, where he has suffered just one defeat – a 3-1 loss away to Midtjylland in the European competition.

Nevertheless, the former Republic of Ireland manager along with his squad subsequently managed to achieve their first away win on the continent since 2021 as they beat the Dutch club 3-1 last week.

Restoration of Confidence

"We lost by them," O'Neill said. "That was a tough game – a few weeks earlier they thrashed Nottingham Forest, making it a challenge. To go to Feyenoord and win away from home was terrific. We've given ourselves a chance, with three matches remaining to attempt qualification, but that victory in Rotterdam helped restore confidence."

Future Ambitions

When asked for his reflections during his time as interim boss, O'Neill stated it has led to thoughts on if he desires to continue in management in the future.

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

"It was challenging," 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 equally as badly as a lot of other gaffers."

"I have learned a lot. I've got some excellent coaching staff working with me and it's been a refresh personally in several respects, working with young players daily."

Consultancy Role?

Regarding whether he will stay with the club in a consultancy role, the ex- Leicester City, Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland boss stated this is entirely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That is really for Nancy to decide," O'Neill stated. "He should be given free reign. Should he desire my opinion on matters, that's fine. If not, that is okay either. It's very much his team the minute he enters the breach."

TalkSport host the interviewer concluded by asking if O'Neill whether he might get emotional once the final whistle blew on Wednesday.

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