Nancy Is Set to Lead of Celtic This Week - O'Neill

As stated by interim boss Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach is slated to be leading Celtic for Sunday's Scottish Premiership clash against Hearts.

Columbus Crew's manager has been involved in serious talks with Glasgow club for almost seven days and currently seems poised to complete a contract.

Martin O'Neill has been acting as caretaker manager for over a month ever since Brendan Rodgers stepped down, notching six wins out of seven games, cutting into the lead at the top of the league table and guiding the club to a Premier Sports Cup place in the final.

The 73-year-old, who previously managed Celtic between 2000 to 2005, had already indicated he believed Sunday's match at Easter Road – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be his final act of his second stint in charge.

Yet, O'Neill revealed he will manage Celtic for Wednesday's Premiership match against Dens Park before Nancy assumes control.

"He is the individual that will be arriving," stated O'Neill to TalkSport. "I thought it was over on Sunday, but there remains formalities still to be sorted. The Dundee game will assuredly be my last match."

An Unusual Period

"This has been like a dream," O'Neill continued. "It's like a part of your life where you think 'did all of that really happen?' Am I delighted that I took the role? Absolutely."

If the Hoops beat their opponents and the Jambos overcome Kilmarnock in midweek, the incoming boss could guide Celtic to summit of the Premiership if they win in his debut game as manager.

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

The team's morale is a result of the positive run during games in the last five weeks, where he has suffered just one defeat – a 3-1 loss away to Midtjylland in the European competition.

Nevertheless, the ex- Irish manager and his players subsequently managed to claim a first victory on the road on the continent since 2021 with a win over Feyenoord 3-1 recently.

Restoration of Confidence

"We lost by Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That was a difficult match – a couple of weeks earlier they defeated Forest, making it difficult. To travel to Feyenoord and win on their patch was excellent. We've given ourselves a chance, with three games remaining to attempt qualification, however, the Feyenoord game helped restore confidence."

Thoughts on the Future

Upon being asked for his thoughts on his time as interim boss, O'Neill says it has led to consideration about whether he would like to carry on managing in the future.

"I genuinely am unsure," he said. "I will have a little think about things following the match on Wednesday."

"It wasn't easy," he continued. "There was the fear of failing – that is an ever-present big concern. I once joked that I was capable of doing this job just as poorly as a lot of other gaffers."

"I've learned much. I have had some excellent young coaches working with me and it has served as a new lease on life personally in several respects, interacting with young players every day."

Consultancy Role?

Regarding whether he will stay at Celtic as an advisor, the ex- Leicester, Aston Villa and Ireland manager stated this is completely the decision of Nancy.

"That decision is really for the incoming manager to make," O'Neill stated. "He should be given free reign. Should he desire my opinion on matters, that's fine. If he doesn't, that is perfectly fine either. It becomes his team the minute he enters the role."

Presenter Jim White concluded by asking if O'Neill whether he might get emotional once the full-time whistle sounded in the Dundee game.

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