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According to caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach is slated to be in the Celtic dugout for this weekend's Premiership fixture versus Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's manager has been engaged in advanced negotiations with Glasgow club for almost seven days and now seems poised to wrap up an agreement.

Martin O'Neill has held the role of temporary gaffer for more than four weeks ever since Brendan Rodgers stepped down, notching six wins in seven matches, cutting into the lead at the top of the league table and guiding the Parkhead outfit to a Premier Sports Cup final spot.

The 73-year-old, who previously managed the club between 2000 to 2005, had already indicated he thought Sunday's match at Hibernian – a 2-1 victory – was likely to be his final act in his second stint at the helm.

However, the interim boss disclosed he will manage Celtic for the midweek league encounter with Dundee prior to Nancy assumes control.

"He's the man set to be coming in," O'Neill said to the radio station. "I assumed it was over on Sunday, however there remains formalities still to be dealt with. Wednesday will assuredly be my last match."

A Surreal Spell

"It has been unreal," O'Neill continued. "It resembles a chapter in one's life where you think 'did that actually occur?' Am I pleased that I took the role? Absolutely."

If Celtic defeat their opponents while Hearts defeat Kilmarnock in midweek, Nancy could potentially take his new club to the top of the Premiership with a victory during his first match in charge.

"That's a decent start for Nancy versus Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A nice introduction. It will be a challenging fixture of course but I wish him all the best. At least he takes over a team with some self-belief."

This self-belief stems from the positive run during games in the last month or so, a period where he suffered just one defeat – a three-one defeat away to Midtjylland during European competition.

However, the ex- Irish manager and his players then bounced back to achieve a first victory on the road in Europe since way back in 2021 by defeating the Dutch club 3-1 last week.

Rebuilding Belief

"We were defeated to Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That was a hard fixture – a couple of weeks earlier they thrashed Nottingham Forest, so that was difficult. To travel to Feyenoord and secure a victory away from home was terrific. We've given ourselves an opportunity, with three matches left to try to qualify, but that Feyenoord game was key for confidence."

Future Ambitions

Upon being asked for his thoughts on his time as caretaker, O'Neill says it has led to thoughts about whether he would like to continue managing going forward.

"I genuinely don't know," he said. "I will have a wee think on everything following Wednesday evening."

"It wasn't easy," he added. "I felt apprehension about failing – that is an ever-present major worry. I once joked that I was capable of doing this job equally as badly as a lot of other gaffers."

"I've learned much. I've got some great coaching staff alongside me and it has served as a refresh personally in several respects, working with young players daily."

Consultancy Role?

On the subject of if he might remain at Celtic in a consultancy role, the ex- Leicester, Villa and Republic of Ireland manager stated this is entirely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That decision is solely for the new boss to decide," O'Neill stated. "He should be allowed his own space. If he wants my advice on things, that is acceptable. If not, that's not a problem at all. It's very much his team the minute he enters 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 if I will cry?" O'Neill responded. "Please don't be stupid."