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According to interim boss Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach is slated to be leading Celtic for Sunday's Scottish Premiership fixture versus Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's manager has been engaged in advanced negotiations with Glasgow club for almost a week and now seems poised to complete an agreement.

O'Neill has been acting as interim boss for over four weeks ever since Brendan Rodgers stepped down, notching six wins in seven matches, cutting into the lead at the top in the Scottish Premiership while also steering the team to Premier Sports Cup place in the final.

The veteran manager, a former boss of the club between 2000 to 2005, had already said he believed the visit to Hibernian – a 2-1 victory – would be his final act of his second spell in charge.

Yet, O'Neill stated he is to lead Celtic in Wednesday's league encounter against Dens Park prior to Wilfried Nancy steps into the role.

"He is the man that will be coming in," O'Neill said to the radio station. "I thought it was over on Sunday, but there remains paperwork yet to be dealt with. Wednesday will assuredly be my last match."

A Bizarre Experience

"It has been unreal," O'Neill continued. "It feels like a part in one's life where you think 'did that actually occur?' Am I delighted that I've done it? Absolutely."

If Celtic beat their opponents while Hearts defeat Killie on Wednesday, the incoming boss could guide Celtic to summit of the table with a victory in his debut game in charge.

"That's a decent start for him versus Hearts," O'Neill said. "A good way to start. It is going to be a tough match naturally but I wish him well. At the very least he takes over a side with some self-belief."

That confidence is a result of O'Neill's success during games in the last five weeks, where he has lost only once – a 3-1 defeat at the Danish side in the European competition.

Nevertheless, the ex- Republic of Ireland manager along with his squad subsequently managed to claim a first away win on the continent since 2021 as they beat Feyenoord 3-1 last week.

Rebuilding Belief

"We lost to Midtjylland," O'Neill said. "That proved to be a difficult match – a few weeks earlier they thrashed Nottingham Forest, making it difficult. To go to De Kuip and win away from home was excellent. We've given the team a chance, with three games remaining to try to qualify, but that victory in Rotterdam helped restore confidence."

Thoughts on the Future

Upon being asked for his thoughts on his time as interim boss, O'Neill says it has prompted thoughts on if he would like to carry on in management in the future.

"I genuinely don't know," he admitted. "I will have a wee think about things following the match on Wednesday."

"It wasn't easy," he continued. "There was a fear of failure – that is always a major worry. I once joked that I was capable of doing the job just as poorly as a lot of other gaffers."

"I've learned much. I've got some excellent coaching staff alongside me and it has served as a reinvigoration for me in several respects, working with young people daily."

A Potential Advisory Position?

Regarding if he might remain with the club as an advisor, the former Leicester City, Aston Villa and Ireland boss says that is entirely the decision of Wilfried Nancy.

"That is really for the new boss to make," O'Neill said. "He must be given full autonomy. Should he desire my advice on things, that's fine. If not, that is okay at all. It becomes his squad the moment he enters the job."

TalkSport host the interviewer ended the interview if O'Neill if he would be emotional or sentimental when the final whistle blew on Wednesday.

"Do you mean if I will get tearful?" O'Neill replied. "Don't be silly."