It has pretty much been an open secret for weeks that Wilfried Nancy will be the next manager of Celtic. It is the timing of the move that has been in doubt. Initially, it was believed that he would be in charge after the international break. That was pushed back, and the new expectation was that he would be brought in time for the Dundee game.
Now, there has been another delay. Naturally, fans have been left wondering whether things will get over the line by the time Hearts come to Parkhead to take on Celtic.
Well, we now have an answer to that question. And it has come from none other than Martin O'Neill, who has done an incredible job as the interim manager, winning six of his seven games.
His eighth one, which will be against Dundee, is set to be his last as well. Nancy will be in charge of the team for the match against Hearts. As reported by STV News, O'Neill said:
"He is the man who will be coming in.
“I thought it was over on Sunday, but there’s some paperwork still to be dealt with. Wednesday will definitely be my final game.
“It’s been surreal. It’s like a part of your life where you think, ‘did that really happen?’ Am I delighted that I’ve done it? Absolutely."
Wilfried Nancy to Celtic timeline finally confirmed
Well, it looks like that is that for O'Neill. It is going to be tough to say goodbye, especially after how good of a job he has done after answering Celtic's call in an hour of need, when he could have easily declined, having been out of management since 2019.
O'Neill turned back the clock though. The only game he did not win was against FC Midtjylland in the Europa League, and the Danish club are enjoying a stellar campaign in their own right.
Of course, that makes things even trickier for Nancy. He will be replacing a club icon. And also, there is a microscope over every move that the board make right now.
A lot of fans are not convinced that Nancy is the right man for the job, as he does not have any experience in Europe. So, if he stumbles out of the gate, things will get exponentially tougher for him. Most managers would struggle to deal with the pressure of life at Celtic in the best of times.