Nancy Will Take Charge for the Glasgow Giants This Week - Martin O'Neill

According to caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach will be leading Celtic for Sunday's Scottish Premiership clash against Heart of Midlothian.

The head coach has been engaged in advanced negotiations with Parkhead side for nearly a week and now seems poised to complete an agreement.

Martin O'Neill has been acting as temporary gaffer for over four weeks since Brendan Rodgers departed, securing six wins out of seven matches, cutting into the lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership and guiding the club to League Cup final spot.

The 73-year-old, who previously managed the club from 2000 to 2005, had previously suggested he thought the trip to Hibernian – a 2-1 victory – was likely to be the last game of his second stint in charge.

But, O'Neill stated he is to manage the team for Wednesday's league encounter against Dundee before Wilfried Nancy takes over.

"He is the person who will be arriving," O'Neill told the radio station. "I believed my time was up last weekend, but there remains formalities still to be sorted. Wednesday will assuredly be my last match."

An Unusual Period

"This has been unreal," he added. "It resembles a part of your life where you think 'did that actually occur?' Am I happy to have taken it on? Absolutely."

Should Celtic beat their opponents while Hearts overcome Kilmarnock on Wednesday, Nancy could lead his new club to the top of the Premiership with a victory in his first match in charge.

"It's a nice one for him against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A good way to start. It will be a difficult game naturally but I wish him all the best. At the very least he inherits a side with some confidence."

The team's morale is a result of the interim manager's results on the field over the past month or so, a period where he lost only once – a 3-1 loss away to Midtjylland during Europa League.

Nevertheless, the former Irish national team boss and his players then bounced back to claim a first victory on the road on the continent since 2021 as they beat Feyenoord 3-1 recently.

Rebuilding Belief

"We lost to them," O'Neill recalled. "That was a hard fixture – a couple of weeks before they mauled Forest, making it a challenge. To go to Feyenoord and secure a victory away from home was terrific. We've given ourselves a chance, there are three matches left to attempt qualification, however, the victory in Rotterdam helped restore confidence."

Future Ambitions

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

"I honestly don't know," he admitted. "I will have a little think about things after the match on Wednesday."

"It was challenging," he added. "I felt apprehension about failing – that is an ever-present major worry. I used to boast I could do the job equally as badly as a lot of other managers."

"I've learned much. I've got some excellent young coaches alongside me and it has served as a reinvigoration for me in several respects, dealing with young players every day."

Consultancy Role?

Regarding whether he will stay at Celtic as an advisor, the ex- Leicester City, Villa and Republic of Ireland manager says that is completely the decision of Wilfried Nancy.

"That decision is really for Nancy to make," O'Neill stated. "He should be allowed his own space. If he wants my opinion on matters, that's fine. If he doesn't, that's not a problem either. It's very much his team the moment he steps into the breach."

Presenter Jim White ended the interview by asking O'Neill if he would be emotional once the full-time whistle blew on Wednesday.

"Are you asking am I going to cry?" O'Neill responded. "Please don't be ridiculous."