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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 Sunday's Premiership clash against Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's manager has been involved in detailed discussions with Parkhead side for nearly seven days and now seems poised to complete a deal.

O'Neill has been acting as interim boss for over a month since the previous manager stepped down, notching six victories in seven games, narrowing the lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership and guiding the team to a Premier Sports Cup final spot.

The 73-year-old, a former boss of the club from 2000 and 2005, had previously suggested he believed the visit to Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – would be the last game of his second stint at the helm.

Yet, the interim boss disclosed he will oversee Celtic in Wednesday's league encounter with Dundee before Nancy takes over.

"He is the man that will be coming in," stated O'Neill to TalkSport. "I thought my time was up on Sunday, but there's some formalities yet to be dealt with. Wednesday will assuredly be my last match."

An Unusual Period

"This has been surreal," he added. "It resembles a chapter in one's life that makes you wonder 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I happy to have taken it on? Absolutely."

Should Celtic beat Dundee and the Jambos see off Killie on Wednesday, the incoming boss could lead Celtic to summit of the Premiership with a victory in his first match in charge.

"That's a decent start for him versus Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A nice introduction. It is going to be a difficult game of course and I wish him all the best. At least he's getting a side full of self-belief."

The team's morale stems from the interim manager's results during games in the last five weeks, a period where he suffered just one defeat – a 3-1 loss away to Midtjylland during Europa League.

Nevertheless, the former Irish manager along with his squad were then able to achieve a first victory on the road on the continent since way back in 2021 as they beat the Dutch club 3-1 recently.

Restoration of Confidence

"We were defeated by Midtjylland," O'Neill said. "That proved to be a tough game – a few weeks earlier they defeated Forest, so that was a challenge. To go to Feyenoord and secure a victory on their patch was terrific. We have given the team a chance, with three matches remaining to attempt qualification, however, the Feyenoord game was key for belief."

Future Ambitions

Upon being asked for his thoughts on his spell as interim boss, O'Neill stated it has prompted consideration on if he desires to carry on in management in the future.

"I genuinely am unsure," he said. "I'll take a little think about things after Wednesday evening."

"It was challenging," he added. "There was a fear of failure – that is always a major worry. I once joked I could do this job equally as badly as many other gaffers."

"I've learned a lot. I have had some great young coaches working with me and it has served as a refresh for me in many ways, working with young people every day."

Consultancy Role?

On the subject of if he might remain with the club as an advisor, the former Leicester, Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland boss says that is completely up to Wilfried Nancy.

"That decision is solely for the incoming manager to decide," O'Neill stated. "He should be given free reign. Should he desire my advice on things, that's fine. If he doesn't, that's not a problem either. It becomes his squad the minute he enters the role."

Presenter the interviewer concluded by asking by asking O'Neill whether he might get emotional or sentimental when the full-time whistle blew on Wednesday.

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