Nancy Will Take Charge of Celtic This Week - O'Neill

As stated by interim boss Martin O'Neill, the Columbus Crew head coach is expected to be leading Celtic during Sunday's Premiership fixture versus Heart of Midlothian.

Columbus Crew's head coach has been part of advanced negotiations with Glasgow club for almost a week and currently looks set to finalize a deal.

Martin O'Neill has been acting as interim boss for over a month ever since the previous manager resigned, achieving six wins in seven matches, reducing Hearts' lead of the Scottish Premiership and guiding the team to Premier Sports Cup final spot.

The 73-year-old, who previously managed the club between 2000 and 2005, had previously suggested he expected Sunday's match at Hibernian – which ended in a 2-1 win – would be the last game of his second spell at the helm.

Yet, O'Neill stated he will oversee Celtic for Wednesday's league encounter with Dens Park before Nancy takes over.

"He's the person set to be arriving," O'Neill told TalkSport. "I believed it was over on Sunday, but there's some formalities still to be sorted. The Dundee game will assuredly be my final game."

A Surreal Spell

"It's been unreal," O'Neill continued. "It feels like a part in one's life where you think 'did all of that actually occur?' Am I happy to have taken it on? Absolutely."

Should Celtic defeat their opponents while the Jambos see off Killie in midweek, the incoming boss could lead Celtic to the top of the Premiership if they win in his opening fixture in charge.

"That's a nice one for Nancy against Hearts," remarked O'Neill. "A nice introduction. It will be a challenging fixture naturally but I wish him well. At least he takes over a team with a bit of confidence."

The team's morale stems from the interim manager's results during games in the last month or so, where he has lost only once – a 3-1 defeat at the Danish side during Europa League.

Nevertheless, the ex- Irish manager along with his squad subsequently managed to achieve their first away win in Europe since 2021 as they beat Feyenoord 3-1 recently.

Restoration of Confidence

"We lost to Midtjylland," O'Neill recalled. "That was a difficult match – a couple of weeks earlier they defeated Nottingham Forest, so that was difficult. To travel to De Kuip and secure a victory away from home was fantastic. We've given ourselves a chance, with three matches left to attempt qualification, however, the Feyenoord game helped restore confidence."

Future Ambitions

Upon being asked for his reflections on his spell as caretaker, O'Neill says it has led to thoughts about whether he desires to continue managing going forward.

"I honestly am unsure," he admitted. "I will have a moment to reflect about things following the match on Wednesday."

"It was challenging," he added. "I felt apprehension about failing – that is always a big concern. I used to boast I could do the job equally as badly as many other managers."

"I have learned a lot. I have had some excellent coaching staff working with me and it's been a refresh for me in several respects, interacting with young people every day."

Consultancy Role?

Regarding if he might remain with the club in a consultancy role, the ex- Leicester City, Villa and Republic of Ireland manager stated this is completely the decision of Nancy.

"That is really for the incoming manager to decide," O'Neill stated. "He must be allowed his own space. If he wants my opinion 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 job."

Presenter the interviewer ended the interview if O'Neill if he would be emotional or sentimental when the full-time whistle blew on Wednesday.

"Do you mean am I going to cry?" O'Neill replied. "Please don't be stupid."

Nicole Jackson
Nicole Jackson

A seasoned gaming enthusiast with over a decade of experience in lottery analysis and casino reviews.