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As stated by caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach will be on the Celtic touchline during Sunday's Scottish Premiership fixture versus Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been engaged in advanced negotiations with the Glasgow club for almost seven days and currently seems poised to complete an agreement.

O'Neill has been acting as interim boss for over a month ever since Brendan Rodgers resigned, notching six wins in seven games, narrowing Hearts' lead of the league table while also steering the team to a Premier Sports Cup place in the final.

The veteran manager, who once coached Celtic between 2000 to 2005, had already said he believed the trip to Easter Road – a 2-1 victory – would be the last game in his second spell at the helm.

However, O'Neill stated he is to manage Celtic in the midweek league encounter against Dens Park prior to Wilfried Nancy steps into the role.

"He's the man who will be coming in," O'Neill told TalkSport. "I thought my time was up on Sunday, but there remains paperwork still to be sorted. The Dundee game is certainly the end for me."

A Bizarre Experience

"It has been unreal," he added. "It's like a part in one's life that makes you wonder 'did that really happen?' Am I delighted that I took the role? Absolutely."

If the Hoops defeat their opponents and the Jambos defeat Killie in midweek, Nancy could potentially take Celtic to the top of the table if they win in his debut game in charge.

"That's a decent start for Nancy against Hearts," O'Neill said. "A nice introduction. It is going to be a challenging fixture of course and I wish him all the best. At the very least he inherits a side with a bit of self-belief."

This self-belief stems from O'Neill's success on the field in the last month or so, a period where he suffered just one defeat – a three-one defeat at Midtjylland in the European competition.

However, the ex- Republic of Ireland manager and his players then bounced back to secure a first victory on the road on the continent since 2021 with a win over Feyenoord 3-1 last week.

A Confidence Boost

"We were defeated to them," O'Neill recalled. "That proved to be a tough game – a few weeks before they thrashed Forest, making it difficult. To go to De Kuip and secure a victory away from home was fantastic. We've given ourselves a chance, with three games remaining to try to qualify, but that Feyenoord game was a restoration of confidence."

Future Ambitions

When asked for his reflections on his spell as caretaker, O'Neill says it has prompted thoughts about whether he desires to continue in management going forward.

"I honestly don't know," he said. "I'll take a little think about things following Wednesday evening."

"It was challenging," he continued. "There was the fear of failing – that is always a big concern. I used to boast I could do this job just as poorly as a lot of other managers."

"I've learned a lot. I have had some great young coaches working with me and it has served as a reinvigoration personally in many ways, dealing with young players every day."

A Potential Advisory Position?

On the subject of if he might remain at Celtic in a consultancy role, the former Leicester, Villa and Ireland manager stated this is completely the decision of Wilfried Nancy.

"That decision is solely for the new boss to make," O'Neill stated. "He must be given full autonomy. If he wants my input on matters, that is acceptable. If not, that is okay either. It's very much his team the moment he enters the job."

TalkSport host Jim White concluded by asking if O'Neill whether he might get emotional or sentimental once the full-time whistle sounded on Wednesday.

"Are you asking am I going to cry?" O'Neill replied. "Don't be silly."