Nancy Is Set to Lead of the Glasgow Giants This Week - O'Neill

As stated by interim boss Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach will be on the Celtic touchline for Sunday's Scottish Premiership clash versus Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been involved in advanced negotiations with the Glasgow club for almost a week and currently looks set to complete a contract.

O'Neill has served as caretaker manager for over four weeks ever since the previous manager stepped down, securing six wins in seven matches, narrowing Hearts' lead in the league table and guiding the team to a Premier Sports Cup place in the final.

The veteran manager, who previously managed the club between 2000 and 2005, had already said he believed the match at Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – was likely to be his final act of his return in charge.

But, O'Neill stated he will manage Celtic for the midweek Premiership match against Dens Park prior to Nancy assumes control.

"He is the person who will be arriving," O'Neill told the radio station. "I assumed it was over on Sunday, but there remains formalities yet to be sorted. The Dundee game will assuredly be my last match."

An Unusual Period

"It's been unreal," he added. "It's like a chapter in one's life where you think 'did that really happen?' Am I delighted that I've done it? Most certainly."

Should the Hoops defeat their opponents while the Jambos overcome Kilmarnock on Wednesday, Nancy could guide Celtic to summit of the table with a victory during his first match in charge.

"That's a nice one for him against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A good way to start. It is going to be a challenging fixture naturally but good luck to him. At least he inherits a team full of confidence."

That confidence is a result of the positive run in matches in the last five weeks, where he has suffered just one defeat – a 3-1 loss away to Midtjylland during Europa League.

Nevertheless, the ex- Irish manager along with his squad were then able to claim a first victory on the road in Europe since way back in 2021 with a win over Feyenoord 3-1 recently.

A Confidence Boost

"We lost by Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That proved to be a tough game – a couple of weeks before they defeated Forest, making it difficult. To go to Feyenoord and secure a victory on their patch was fantastic. We have given ourselves a chance, there are three games remaining to attempt qualification, but that Feyenoord game was a restoration of belief."

What Comes Next

When asked for his thoughts during his spell as interim boss, O'Neill stated it has prompted thoughts about whether he would like to continue managing in the future.

"I honestly don't know," he admitted. "I will have a little think about things following the match on Wednesday."

"It was challenging," he continued. "There was a fear of failure – which is always a big concern. I used to boast I could do this job just as poorly as a lot of other managers."

"I've learned a lot. I've got some excellent young coaches working with me and it's been a refresh for me in several respects, dealing with young players daily."

Consultancy Role?

Regarding whether he will stay at Celtic as an advisor, the former Leicester City, Villa and Republic of Ireland manager stated this is completely the decision of Wilfried Nancy.

"That is really for Nancy to decide," O'Neill said. "He must be allowed his own space. If he wants my advice on things, that is acceptable. If not, that is perfectly fine at all. It's very much his team the minute he steps into the breach."

TalkSport host Jim White concluded by asking by asking O'Neill if he would be emotional when the full-time whistle blew on Wednesday.

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