Nancy Will Take Charge for the Glasgow Giants This Week - Martin O'Neill

As stated by caretaker manager Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach will be on the Celtic touchline during Sunday's Premiership fixture versus Heart of Midlothian.

The head coach has been involved in advanced negotiations with the Glasgow club for almost a week and now appears ready to wrap up a deal.

Martin O'Neill has been acting as caretaker manager for over a month ever since Brendan Rodgers resigned, achieving six victories out of seven matches, narrowing the lead at the top in the league table while also steering the team to a Premier Sports Cup place in the final.

The veteran manager, who once coached Celtic from 2000 to 2005, had previously suggested he thought Sunday's match at Easter Road – a 2-1 victory – was likely to be the last game in his second stint in charge.

However, O'Neill revealed he will lead Celtic for the midweek Premiership match against Dens Park before Nancy takes over.

"He's the person set to be coming in," O'Neill said to the radio station. "I believed my time was up last weekend, but there remains paperwork yet to be completed. The Dundee game will definitely be the end for me."

A Surreal Spell

"This has been like a dream," O'Neill continued. "It feels like a part of your life that makes you wonder 'did that actually occur?' Am I delighted that I've done it? Most certainly."

Should the Hoops defeat Dundee and Hearts defeat Killie in midweek, Nancy could guide Celtic to summit of the Premiership if they win during his first match as manager.

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

This self-belief stems from O'Neill's success during games in the last five weeks, a period where he suffered just one defeat – a 3-1 defeat at the Danish side during Europa League.

Nevertheless, the former Irish manager along with his squad then bounced back to achieve their first victory on the road in Europe since 2021 as they beat the Dutch club 3-1 recently.

Restoration of Confidence

"We were defeated to them," O'Neill recalled. "That was a tough game – a few weeks before they thrashed Forest, making it difficult. To travel to De Kuip and secure a victory on their patch was terrific. We have given ourselves a chance, there are three games remaining to try to qualify, but that Feyenoord game was key for belief."

What Comes Next

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

"I honestly am unsure," he said. "I'll take a little think about things following the match on Wednesday."

"It was not simple," he added. "I felt apprehension about failing – that is an ever-present big concern. I once joked that I was capable of doing this job equally as badly as many other managers."

"I have learned a lot. I've got some great young coaches alongside me and it's been a new lease on life personally in many ways, interacting with young players every day."

Consultancy Role?

On the subject of if he might remain at Celtic in a consultancy role, the former Leicester, Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland boss says that is completely the decision of Nancy.

"That is really for the incoming manager to make," O'Neill stated. "He must be allowed his own space. If he wants my advice on things, that's fine. If not, that's not a problem either. It's very much his team the moment he steps into the role."

Presenter Jim White ended the interview by asking O'Neill if he would be emotional when the final whistle blew in the Dundee game.

"Do you mean am I going to get tearful?" O'Neill replied. "Don't be ridiculous."