Wilfried Nancy Is Set to Lead of Celtic in the Coming Days - O'Neill

Per the words of caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach will be in the Celtic dugout during Sunday's Scottish Premiership fixture versus Hearts.

The head coach has been part of advanced negotiations with the Parkhead side for nearly a week and currently looks set to complete a deal.

Martin O'Neill has been acting as interim boss for more than a month since the previous manager resigned, notching six wins in seven matches, narrowing the lead at the top of the league table and guiding the Parkhead outfit to Premier Sports Cup place in the final.

The veteran manager, a former boss of the club from 2000 to 2005, had already indicated he thought the trip to Easter Road – which ended in a 2-1 win – would be his final act in his second spell at the helm.

But, the interim boss disclosed he is to lead the team for Wednesday's league encounter against Dens Park prior to Wilfried Nancy steps into the role.

"He's the person who will be arriving," O'Neill said to the radio station. "I thought it was over last weekend, however there's some formalities yet to be dealt with. Wednesday will assuredly be the end for me."

A Bizarre Experience

"This has been like a dream," O'Neill continued. "It feels like a chapter of your life that makes you wonder 'did that actually occur?' Am I happy that I took the role? Absolutely."

If Celtic defeat their opponents while Hearts overcome Killie in midweek, Nancy could lead his new club to the top of the Premiership with a victory during his debut game as manager.

"That's a decent start for Nancy versus Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A good way to start. It will be a tough match of course and good luck to him. At the very least he's getting a team with some confidence."

That confidence stems from the interim manager's results during games over the past five weeks, a period where he lost only once – a three-one defeat at the Danish side during European competition.

Nevertheless, the former 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.

Restoration of Confidence

"We were defeated to Midtjylland," O'Neill said. "That was a hard fixture – a few weeks before they thrashed Forest, so that was a challenge. To go to De Kuip and win on their patch was fantastic. We've given ourselves an opportunity, with three matches left to attempt qualification, however, the victory in Rotterdam was key for belief."

What Comes Next

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

"I genuinely am unsure," he admitted. "I'll take a little think about things following the match on Wednesday."

"It wasn't easy," he continued. "There was apprehension about failing – which is an ever-present major worry. I used to boast that I was capable of doing the job just as poorly as many other managers."

"I've learned much. I've got some excellent young coaches working with me and it has served as a reinvigoration personally in several respects, dealing with young players daily."

A Potential Advisory Position?

On the subject of whether he will stay at Celtic as an advisor, the ex- Leicester City, Villa and Ireland boss stated this is entirely the decision of Wilfried Nancy.

"That is really for the new boss to decide," O'Neill said. "He must 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 squad the minute he enters the role."

Presenter the interviewer concluded by asking if O'Neill if he would be emotional or sentimental when the final whistle sounded on Wednesday.

"Do you mean if I will cry?" O'Neill replied. "Don't be ridiculous."