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According to caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach is expected to be leading Celtic for Sunday's Premiership match against Hearts.

The head coach has been engaged in advanced negotiations with the Glasgow club for nearly a week and now appears ready to finalize an agreement.

O'Neill has held the role of interim boss for more than a month since the previous manager departed, achieving six victories out of seven matches, narrowing the lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership and guiding the club to a League Cup place in the final.

The veteran manager, a former boss of the club from 2000 and 2005, had already said he thought Sunday's visit to Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be the last game of his second stint at the helm.

Yet, O'Neill stated he is to oversee Celtic in Wednesday's league encounter against Dundee before Wilfried Nancy takes over.

"He's the man that will be arriving," O'Neill told the radio station. "I thought my time was up last weekend, but there's some paperwork still to be dealt with. Wednesday is certainly the end for me."

An Unusual Period

"This has been surreal," he added. "It's like a part in one's life where you think 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I delighted to have taken it on? Most certainly."

Should Celtic beat Dundee while the Jambos see off Kilmarnock in midweek, the incoming boss could lead his new club to the top of the Premiership with a victory in his opening fixture in charge.

"It's a decent start for Nancy versus Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A nice introduction. It is going to be a tough match of course but I wish him all the best. At the very least he's getting a team with a bit of self-belief."

This self-belief stems from O'Neill's success during games in the last month or so, a period where he suffered just one defeat – a three-one defeat away to the Danish side in the Europa League.

Nevertheless, the former Irish manager along with his squad were then able to claim their first victory on the road in Europe since way back in 2021 as they beat Feyenoord 3-1 recently.

Rebuilding Belief

"We lost by them," O'Neill said. "That proved to be a difficult match – a few weeks before they defeated Forest, making it a challenge. To travel to De Kuip and win away from home was terrific. We have given ourselves a chance, with three matches left to attempt qualification, but that Feyenoord game helped restore belief."

What Comes Next

When asked for his thoughts during his time as caretaker, O'Neill stated it has led to thoughts on if he would like to carry on managing in the future.

"I honestly am unsure," he admitted. "I will have a moment to reflect about things after Wednesday evening."

"It was not simple," he continued. "There was the fear of failing – that is an ever-present major worry. I once joked that I was capable of doing this job just as poorly as many other managers."

"I have learned a lot. I've got some excellent young coaches working with me and it's been a refresh 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 ex- Leicester City, Villa and Ireland manager says that is entirely the decision of Wilfried Nancy.

"That decision is really for the new boss to make," O'Neill said. "He should be allowed his own space. Should he desire my input on matters, that is acceptable. If he doesn't, that is perfectly fine at all. It becomes his team the minute he steps into the job."

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

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