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Per the words of interim boss Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach will be on the Celtic touchline for Sunday's Premiership clash versus Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's manager has been engaged in serious talks with Parkhead side for nearly seven days and now seems poised to wrap up a deal.

O'Neill has held the role of interim boss for more than four weeks ever since the previous manager departed, achieving six wins out of seven games, narrowing Hearts' lead of the Scottish Premiership and guiding the team to League Cup place in the final.

The veteran manager, a former boss of Celtic from 2000 to 2005, had previously suggested he thought Sunday's trip to Easter Road – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be the last game in his return at the helm.

But, O'Neill revealed he is to manage Celtic in Wednesday's league encounter against Dens Park prior to Wilfried Nancy assumes control.

"He is the individual who will be arriving," stated O'Neill to the radio station. "I thought it was over on Sunday, but there's some paperwork yet to be completed. The Dundee game will definitely be the end for me."

An Unusual Period

"It has been like a dream," he added. "It resembles a part in one's life where you think 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I delighted that I've done it? Most certainly."

Should Celtic defeat Dundee while the Jambos defeat Killie on Wednesday, Nancy could lead Celtic to the top of the table if they win in his first match in charge.

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

The team's morale comes from the interim manager's results during games over the past five weeks, a period where he suffered just one defeat – a three-one loss away to the Danish side in the Europa League.

Nevertheless, the ex- Republic of Ireland national team boss and his players subsequently managed to achieve a first away win in Europe since 2021 with a win over Feyenoord 3-1 last week.

A Confidence Boost

"We lost to them," O'Neill said. "That was a hard fixture – a couple of weeks before they defeated Nottingham Forest, so that was a challenge. To travel to De Kuip and win away from home was terrific. We've given ourselves an opportunity, with three games left to try to qualify, however, the victory in Rotterdam was key for confidence."

What Comes Next

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

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

"It was challenging," he continued. "I felt apprehension about failing – that is always a major worry. I used to boast that I was capable of doing this job just as poorly as many other gaffers."

"I have learned a lot. I have had some excellent coaching staff working with me and it's been a new lease on life for me in several respects, dealing with young players daily."

A Potential Advisory Position?

On the subject of if he might remain at Celtic in a consultancy role, the former Leicester City, Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland manager says that is entirely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That decision is solely for Nancy to decide," O'Neill stated. "He should be allowed his own space. Should he desire my advice on things, that's fine. If he doesn't, that is perfectly fine either. It's very much his squad the moment he steps into the role."

TalkSport host the interviewer ended the interview if O'Neill if he would be emotional when the final whistle sounded in the Dundee game.

"Are you asking if I will cry?" O'Neill responded. "Please don't be ridiculous."