Wilfried Nancy is set to take charge of Celtic for Sunday’s Scottish Premiership clash with Hearts, interim manager Martin O’Neill has confirmed.
The Columbus Crew head coach has been in advanced discussions with the Glasgow club for nearly a week and is close to finalising his move.
O’Neill has been caretaker manager since Brendan Rodgers’ resignation over a month ago, winning six of seven matches, narrowing Hearts’ lead at the top of the league, and guiding Celtic to a Premier Sports Cup final.
The 73-year-old, who previously managed Celtic from 2000 to 2005, had expected Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Hibernian to be the last of his second stint. However, he will remain in charge for Wednesday’s league game against Dundee before Nancy officially takes over.
“He is the man coming in,” O’Neill told TalkSport. “I thought it was over on Sunday, but some paperwork remains. Wednesday will definitely be my final game. It’s been surreal… Am I delighted I’ve done it? Absolutely.”
If Celtic defeat Dundee and Hearts beat Kilmarnock on Wednesday, Nancy could start his tenure at the top of the Premiership.
“It’s a nice introduction for him, against Hearts. It will be a tough game, but he inherits a team with confidence,” O’Neill said. That confidence stems from his successful run, including an away win over Feyenoord in the Europa League after a 3-1 loss to Midtjylland.
Reflecting on his interim spell, O’Neill admitted it prompted him to consider his future in management. “I genuinely don’t know what I’ll do after Wednesday. It wasn’t easy; there was a fear of failure. I’ve learned a lot and enjoyed working with some great young coaches—it’s been reinvigorating.”
Regarding a potential consultancy role under Nancy, O’Neill said the decision is entirely up to the incoming manager.
“It’s very much his team the minute he steps in,” he said. When asked if he would be emotional after Wednesday’s game, O’Neill replied with characteristic humour: “Do you mean am I going to cry? Don’t be stupid.”
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