🔗 Share this article

According to caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach is slated to be leading Celtic for this weekend's Scottish Premiership fixture versus Heart of Midlothian.

The manager has been part of detailed discussions with Glasgow club for almost seven days and currently seems poised to finalize a deal.

Martin O'Neill has been acting as temporary gaffer for over a month ever since the previous manager departed, securing six wins out of seven matches, reducing Hearts' lead in the league table while also steering the Parkhead outfit to League Cup final spot.

The veteran manager, a former boss of Celtic between 2000 to 2005, had already indicated he believed the trip to Hibernian – a 2-1 victory – was likely to be his final act of his return in charge.

However, O'Neill stated he is to oversee the team in the midweek league encounter with Dundee prior to Wilfried Nancy assumes control.

"He's the man who will be taking over," O'Neill said to TalkSport. "I thought my time was up last weekend, however there's some formalities still to be dealt with. Wednesday is certainly my last match."

An Unusual Period

"It's been surreal," O'Neill continued. "It feels like a part of your life where you think 'did all of that really happen?' Am I pleased that I took the role? Without a doubt."

Should the Hoops beat Dundee and the Jambos see off Kilmarnock in midweek, Nancy could lead Celtic to the top of the Premiership if they win during his first match as manager.

"That's a decent start for Nancy versus Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A good way to start. It is going to be a challenging fixture naturally and I wish him well. At the very least he takes over a side with a bit of confidence."

That confidence is a result of O'Neill's success on the field in the last five weeks, where he has suffered just one defeat – a three-one loss at Midtjylland during Europa League.

However, the former Republic of Ireland national team boss and his players subsequently managed to achieve a first victory on the road in Europe since 2021 with a win over the Dutch club 3-1 last week.

Restoration of Confidence

"We lost by Midtjylland," O'Neill said. "That proved to be a difficult match – a couple of weeks earlier they thrashed Nottingham Forest, making it a challenge. To go to De Kuip and win on their patch was fantastic. We've given the team an opportunity, with three matches remaining to try to qualify, but that Feyenoord game was key for confidence."

Future Ambitions

Upon being asked for his reflections on his time as interim boss, O'Neill stated it has prompted thoughts about whether he would like to continue in management going forward.

"I honestly don't know," he said. "I will have a little think about things after Wednesday evening."

"It was not simple," he continued. "There was a fear of failure – that is always a big concern. I once joked I could do the job equally as badly as a lot of other managers."

"I've learned much. I have had some excellent coaching staff alongside me and it has served as a refresh personally in many ways, working with young people daily."

A Potential Advisory Position?

Regarding whether he will stay at Celtic as an advisor, the ex- Leicester City, Villa and Ireland manager says that is entirely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That is really for the incoming manager to decide," O'Neill said. "He must be given full autonomy. Should he desire my input on matters, that's fine. If he doesn't, that is okay either. It's very much his team the moment he enters the breach."

Presenter the interviewer ended the interview if O'Neill whether he might get emotional once the final whistle blew in the Dundee game.

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