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Per the words of caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach is expected to be on the Celtic touchline for this weekend's Scottish Premiership fixture against Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's manager has been part of advanced negotiations with the Parkhead side for nearly a week and currently seems poised to finalize an agreement.

Martin O'Neill has held the role of interim boss for over four weeks since the previous manager resigned, achieving six victories in seven games, cutting into the lead at the top of the league table and guiding the club to League Cup final spot.

The veteran manager, who once coached Celtic from 2000 and 2005, had already said he believed Sunday's match at Easter Road – which ended in a 2-1 win – would be his final act of his second spell at the helm.

However, the interim boss disclosed he is to oversee the team in the midweek Premiership match with Dens Park prior to Wilfried Nancy steps into the role.

"He is the man who will be taking over," stated O'Neill to TalkSport. "I believed my time was up on Sunday, but there remains formalities yet to be dealt with. The Dundee game is certainly my last match."

A Surreal Spell

"It has been like a dream," he added. "It feels like a part in one's life where you think 'did that really happen?' Am I delighted to have taken it on? Absolutely."

Should the Hoops defeat their opponents and Hearts overcome Kilmarnock on Wednesday, the incoming boss could potentially take his new club to summit of the table if they win during his first match in charge.

"That's a nice one for Nancy versus Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A gentle introduction. It will be a challenging fixture of course but I wish him all the best. At the very least he's getting a side full of self-belief."

That confidence stems from O'Neill's success during games over the past five weeks, where he has suffered just one defeat – a three-one loss away to the Danish side during European competition.

However, the former Republic of Ireland national team boss along with his squad subsequently managed to achieve a first away win on the continent since 2021 by defeating the Dutch club 3-1 last week.

A Confidence Boost

"We were defeated to them," O'Neill said. "That proved to be a hard fixture – a few weeks before they thrashed Nottingham Forest, making it difficult. To travel to Feyenoord and win away from home was terrific. We've given ourselves an opportunity, there are three games left to try to qualify, however, the Feyenoord game was key for confidence."

Thoughts on the Future

When asked for his thoughts on his time as caretaker, O'Neill stated it has led to consideration on if he would like to carry on managing in the future.

"I genuinely am unsure," he admitted. "I'll take a little think on everything after Wednesday evening."

"It was not simple," he continued. "I felt a fear of failure – that is an ever-present major worry. I used to boast I could do this job just as poorly as a lot of other gaffers."

"I have learned a lot. I have had some excellent coaching staff alongside me and it's been a refresh for me in several respects, interacting with young players daily."

A Potential Advisory Position?

On the subject of if he might remain with the club in a consultancy role, the former Leicester, Villa and Republic of Ireland manager stated this is completely the decision of Nancy.

"That decision is solely for the new boss to make," O'Neill stated. "He should be given full autonomy. Should he desire my opinion on matters, that's fine. If he doesn't, that's not a problem either. It's very much his team the moment he steps into the job."

Presenter Jim White ended the interview if O'Neill if he would be emotional or sentimental when the full-time whistle blew in the Dundee game.

"Are you asking am I going to get tearful?" O'Neill replied. "Please don't be silly."