As stated by interim boss Martin O'Neill, Wilfried Nancy is slated to be on the Celtic touchline during this weekend's Premiership match against Heart of Midlothian.
Columbus Crew's head coach has been involved in serious talks with the Glasgow club for nearly a week and currently appears ready to complete a contract.
O'Neill has been acting as interim boss for over a month ever since Brendan Rodgers resigned, securing six wins in seven games, narrowing the lead at the top in the league table while also steering the team to Premier Sports Cup place in the final.
The veteran manager, a former boss of Celtic between 2000 and 2005, had already said he expected Sunday's match at Easter Road – a 2-1 victory – would be the last game of his second spell at the helm.
Yet, the interim boss disclosed he is to lead Celtic in the midweek Premiership match against Dens Park prior to Nancy steps into the role.
"He's the person set to be taking over," O'Neill said to the radio station. "I believed my time was up on Sunday, but there's some paperwork still to be sorted. The Dundee game will definitely be my final game."
A Bizarre Experience
"It's been unreal," O'Neill continued. "It feels like a chapter in one's life where you think 'did that really happen?' Am I pleased to have taken it on? Without a doubt."
If the Hoops defeat their opponents while Hearts defeat Kilmarnock in midweek, the incoming boss could potentially take his new club to summit of the Premiership with a victory in his opening fixture as manager.
"That's a nice one for Nancy versus Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A nice introduction. It will be a challenging fixture naturally and 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 in matches in the last month or so, where he has suffered just one defeat – a three-one defeat at Midtjylland in the European competition.
However, the former Republic of Ireland national team boss along with his squad were then able to claim their first victory on the road in Europe since 2021 by defeating the Dutch club 3-1 recently.
A Confidence Boost
"We were defeated to them," O'Neill recalled. "That proved to be a difficult match – a couple of weeks earlier they thrashed Nottingham Forest, so that was difficult. To go to Feyenoord and secure a victory on their patch was terrific. We have given ourselves an opportunity, with three matches left to try to qualify, but that victory in Rotterdam was key for confidence."
Thoughts on the Future
When asked for his reflections during his time as caretaker, O'Neill says it has led to consideration about whether he would like to carry on managing in the future.
"I honestly don't know," he said. "I'll take a moment to reflect about things after the match on Wednesday."
"It was not simple," he added. "I felt apprehension about failing – which is an ever-present big concern. I used to boast I could do this job equally as badly as a lot of other gaffers."
"I have learned a lot. I've got some excellent coaching staff working with me and it's been a reinvigoration for me in many ways, dealing with young players every day."
Consultancy Role?
Regarding whether he will stay at Celtic as an advisor, the former Leicester City, Aston Villa and Ireland boss stated this is entirely the decision of Nancy.
"That decision is really for Nancy to decide," O'Neill stated. "He should be given full autonomy. If he wants my advice on things, that is acceptable. If not, that is okay either. It becomes his team the moment he steps into the breach."
TalkSport host the interviewer concluded by asking by asking O'Neill if he would be emotional or sentimental once the final whistle blew in the Dundee game.
"Are you asking am I going to get tearful?" O'Neill responded. "Don't be silly."
