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According to interim boss Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach is slated to be on the Celtic touchline during Sunday's Premiership clash versus Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been part of advanced negotiations with Glasgow club for almost seven days and currently appears ready to finalize a deal.

O'Neill has been acting as caretaker manager for more than a month ever since Brendan Rodgers stepped down, notching six wins in seven matches, cutting into Hearts' lead of the league table and guiding the Parkhead outfit to a League Cup place in the final.

The veteran manager, who once coached Celtic between 2000 to 2005, had previously suggested he believed the trip to Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be his final act of his return at the helm.

But, O'Neill revealed he is to oversee the team for Wednesday's Premiership match with Dundee before Nancy assumes control.

"He's the man who will be arriving," O'Neill said to the radio station. "I believed my time was up on Sunday, however there's some paperwork yet to be dealt with. Wednesday will definitely be my final game."

An Unusual Period

"It's been like a dream," he added. "It feels like a part of your life that makes you wonder 'did that really happen?' Am I happy to have taken it on? Absolutely."

If Celtic defeat Dundee while Hearts see off Kilmarnock in midweek, the incoming boss could lead Celtic to the top of the table with a victory during his first match in charge.

"It's a nice one for Nancy versus Hearts," O'Neill said. "A gentle introduction. It is going to be a challenging fixture of course and good luck to him. At least he's getting a team full of confidence."

The team's morale comes from O'Neill's success during games over the past month or so, a period where he lost only once – a three-one loss at the Danish side during European competition.

However, the ex- Republic of Ireland manager and his players were then able to secure their first victory on the road in Europe since way back in 2021 with a win over Feyenoord 3-1 last week.

Rebuilding Belief

"We were defeated by Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That proved to be a tough game – a couple of weeks before they defeated Nottingham Forest, so that was a challenge. To travel to Feyenoord and win away from home was terrific. We have given the team a chance, with three matches left to try to qualify, however, the victory in Rotterdam was key for confidence."

Future Ambitions

When asked for his thoughts on his spell as caretaker, O'Neill says it has prompted thoughts on if he would like to continue in management going forward.

"I honestly am unsure," he said. "I will have a little think on everything after the match on Wednesday."

"It wasn't easy," he continued. "I felt the fear of failing – which is an ever-present big concern. I once joked I could do the job just as poorly as a lot of other gaffers."

"I have learned a lot. I've got some excellent coaching staff working with me and it has served as a new lease on life for me in several respects, dealing with young players every day."

A Potential Advisory Position?

On the subject of whether he will stay with the club in a consultancy role, the former Leicester, Villa and Republic of Ireland boss stated this is completely up to Nancy.

"That decision is really for the incoming manager to make," O'Neill stated. "He should be given full autonomy. Should he desire my advice on matters, that's fine. If not, that is okay either. It becomes his squad the minute he enters the role."

Presenter Jim White ended the interview by asking O'Neill whether he might get emotional when the full-time whistle sounded on Wednesday.

"Do you mean am I going to cry?" O'Neill replied. "Don't be silly."