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Per the words of interim boss Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach will be on the Celtic touchline during this weekend's Premiership fixture versus Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been part of serious talks with the Glasgow club for nearly seven days and currently appears ready to wrap up an agreement.

Martin O'Neill has been acting as caretaker manager for over a month since Brendan Rodgers resigned, securing six wins out of seven games, narrowing Hearts' lead in the Scottish Premiership and guiding the team to a Premier Sports Cup place in the final.

The veteran manager, a former boss of Celtic between 2000 and 2005, had previously suggested he believed the visit to Hibernian – a 2-1 victory – was likely to be his final act of his second stint in charge.

Yet, the interim boss disclosed he will manage Celtic in Wednesday's Premiership match with Dundee prior to Wilfried Nancy steps into the role.

"He is the man who will be taking over," O'Neill said to TalkSport. "I assumed my time was up on Sunday, but there's some formalities yet to be completed. Wednesday will definitely be the end for me."

An Unusual Period

"It's been like a dream," O'Neill continued. "It resembles a chapter in one's life where you think 'did that actually occur?' Am I delighted to have taken it on? Most certainly."

If the Hoops beat Dundee while the Jambos defeat Killie on Wednesday, Nancy could lead his new club to the top of the table with a victory in his debut game as manager.

"It's a good fixture for Nancy versus Hearts," O'Neill said. "A gentle introduction. It will be a challenging fixture of course but good luck to him. At least he inherits a team with a bit of confidence."

This self-belief comes from O'Neill's success in matches over the past month or so, where he has suffered just one defeat – a three-one defeat away to the Danish side during Europa League.

Nevertheless, the ex- Irish manager along with his squad subsequently managed to claim a first victory on the road in Europe since 2021 with a win over Feyenoord 3-1 last week.

Rebuilding Belief

"We lost by Midtjylland," O'Neill said. "That was a hard fixture – a couple of weeks before they defeated Nottingham Forest, so that was difficult. To go to De Kuip and secure a victory away from home was fantastic. We've given ourselves a chance, there are three matches left to attempt qualification, however, the Feyenoord game helped restore confidence."

Future Ambitions

Upon being asked for his thoughts on his spell as caretaker, O'Neill says it has prompted thoughts about whether he desires to continue managing in the future.

"I honestly don't know," he admitted. "I'll take a moment to reflect about things following the match on Wednesday."

"It was not simple," he continued. "There was the fear of failing – that is always a big concern. I once joked I could do this job just as poorly as many other managers."

"I've learned a lot. I have had some great young coaches alongside me and it's been a new lease on life personally in many ways, dealing with young players every day."

Consultancy Role?

Regarding if he might remain with the club in a consultancy role, the former Leicester, Aston Villa and Ireland manager says that is completely up to Nancy.

"That is solely for the incoming manager to decide," O'Neill stated. "He must be given free reign. If he wants my advice on matters, that is acceptable. If not, that is perfectly fine at all. It becomes his team the moment he enters the job."

Presenter the interviewer ended the interview if O'Neill if he would be emotional or sentimental once the full-time whistle blew on Wednesday.

"Do you mean am I going to cry?" O'Neill replied. "Please don't be stupid."