According to caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is expected to be in the Celtic dugout during Sunday's Premiership fixture against Hearts.
Columbus Crew's head coach has been involved in advanced negotiations with the Parkhead side for nearly seven days and now seems poised to wrap up a contract.
Martin O'Neill has held the role of caretaker manager for over four weeks since Brendan Rodgers stepped down, securing six wins in seven matches, cutting into the lead at the top in the league table and guiding the Parkhead outfit to League Cup final spot.
The veteran manager, a former boss of the club between 2000 to 2005, had already said he believed the match at Hibernian – a 2-1 victory – would be his final act of his second spell at the helm.
But, O'Neill revealed he is to lead the team in Wednesday's league encounter against Dundee prior to Nancy steps into the role.
"He is the man set to be coming in," O'Neill told the radio station. "I believed my time was up last weekend, but there remains formalities yet to be sorted. Wednesday will definitely be my last match."
An Unusual Period
"This has been unreal," he added. "It resembles a part in one's life where you think 'did that really happen?' Am I happy that I took the role? Most certainly."
Should the Hoops defeat their opponents while Hearts see off Kilmarnock on Wednesday, Nancy could potentially take Celtic to summit of the Premiership if they win in his debut game as manager.
"It's a nice one for Nancy against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A nice introduction. It is going to be a challenging fixture of course but I wish him all the best. At least he inherits a team full of 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 three-one loss at Midtjylland during European competition.
Nevertheless, the former Irish national team boss along with his squad then bounced back to claim a first away win on the continent since 2021 with a win over Feyenoord 3-1 last week.
Rebuilding Belief
"We lost by them," O'Neill said. "That proved to be a difficult match – a few weeks before they thrashed Forest, making it a challenge. To travel to Feyenoord and secure a victory on their patch was terrific. We've given the team an opportunity, with three games left to attempt qualification, however, the victory in Rotterdam helped restore confidence."
Future Ambitions
Upon being asked for his reflections on his time as caretaker, O'Neill says it has prompted thoughts about whether he desires to carry on in management going forward.
"I genuinely don't know," he said. "I will have a little think about things following Wednesday evening."
"It was not simple," he continued. "I felt the fear of failing – which is always a major worry. I once joked that I was capable of doing the job just as poorly as many other managers."
"I have learned a lot. I've got some great coaching staff alongside me and it's been a new lease on life personally in many ways, interacting with young players every day."
Consultancy Role?
Regarding if he might remain with the club in a consultancy role, the ex- Leicester City, Villa and Republic of Ireland boss says that is entirely the decision of Wilfried Nancy.
"That decision is solely for Nancy to decide," O'Neill stated. "He should be given free reign. If he wants my input on matters, that's fine. If he doesn't, that's not a problem either. It becomes his squad the moment he enters the role."
TalkSport host the interviewer ended the interview by asking O'Neill whether he might get emotional or sentimental once the final whistle blew in the Dundee game.
"Do you mean am I going to cry?" O'Neill responded. "Don't be silly."
