Wilfried Nancy Will Take Charge of Celtic in the Coming Days - Martin O'Neill

Per the words of interim boss Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach is slated to be leading Celtic during Sunday's Premiership match versus Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been engaged in serious talks with Parkhead side for nearly a week and currently appears ready to complete an agreement.

Martin O'Neill has served as caretaker manager for more than four weeks ever since Brendan Rodgers stepped down, achieving six wins in seven games, cutting into the lead at the top in the league table while also steering the team to League Cup place in the final.

The veteran manager, a former boss of the club between 2000 and 2005, had already indicated he thought the match at Hibernian – a 2-1 victory – was likely to be the last game of his return in charge.

However, O'Neill stated he will lead the team for Wednesday's Premiership match against Dens Park before Wilfried Nancy steps into the role.

"He is the person set to be taking over," O'Neill told the radio station. "I assumed it was over last weekend, but there remains formalities yet to be completed. Wednesday will assuredly be my final game."

A Surreal Spell

"It has been unreal," O'Neill continued. "It's like a chapter of your life where you think 'did that actually occur?' Am I pleased to have taken it on? Most certainly."

If the Hoops defeat Dundee and Hearts defeat Killie on Wednesday, Nancy could guide his new club to summit of the Premiership with a victory in his first match as manager.

"That's a good fixture for him against Hearts," O'Neill said. "A gentle introduction. It will be a difficult game naturally but I wish him all the best. At least he takes over a team full of confidence."

That confidence comes from the interim manager's results during games over the past five weeks, where he has lost only once – a 3-1 loss at the Danish side during European competition.

However, the ex- Irish national team boss and his players were then able to claim their first away win on the continent since way back in 2021 as they beat Feyenoord 3-1 recently.

Rebuilding Belief

"We were defeated by Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That proved to be a difficult match – a couple of weeks earlier they thrashed Forest, so that was a challenge. To travel to Feyenoord and secure a victory away from home was fantastic. We have given ourselves a chance, with three games left to attempt qualification, but that victory in Rotterdam was a restoration of belief."

Thoughts on the Future

When asked for his thoughts during his time as interim boss, O'Neill stated it has prompted thoughts about whether he would like to carry on in management in the future.

"I honestly am unsure," he admitted. "I'll take a little think about things after Wednesday evening."

"It was challenging," he continued. "I felt a fear of failure – that is an ever-present major worry. I once joked that I was capable of doing this job just as poorly as a lot of other managers."

"I have learned a lot. I have had some excellent young coaches working with me and it has served as a reinvigoration personally in several respects, dealing with young people every day."

Consultancy Role?

Regarding whether he will stay with the club in a consultancy role, the ex- Leicester City, Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland boss says that is completely up to Nancy.

"That is solely for the new boss to decide," O'Neill stated. "He must be given free reign. Should he desire my input on matters, that's fine. If he doesn't, that is perfectly fine at all. It's very much his squad the moment he enters the breach."

Presenter Jim White concluded by asking if O'Neill if he would be emotional or sentimental when the final whistle sounded in the Dundee game.

"Do you mean if I will get tearful?" O'Neill replied. "Please don't be stupid."