The Frenchman is set to arrive at Celtic Park in the midst of rising tensions between fans and the board(Image: SNS Group)

Former goalkeeper Joe Hart admits he is hearing “different versions” of the row between Celtic fans and the board ahead of Wilfried Nancy’s arrival. The Columbus Crew boss is expected to take over the hot seat following this weekend’s game against Hibs.

Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney have been holding down the fort at Celtic Park amid the ongoing bid to land a boss – cutting Hearts lead at the Scottish Premiership summit after five league wins from five. The interim management pair also earned an impressive Europa League win against Feyenoord on Thursday.

Nancy will be leaving Major League Soccer behind to step into a Celtic cauldron. Tensions bubbled over at the Parkhead AGM with shareholders protesting against the board before chairman Peter Lawwell called a halt to proceedings.

But the dispute has rumbled on with the Celtic Fan Collective demanding answers to questions that were not put to the decision-makers in the curtailed summit. And Hart reckons that the club are suffering from the “civil war” in Glasgow’s east end.

The three-time Premiership title winner: “I have got friends on both sides of this civl war that you are talking about. Ultimately what is suffering is Celtic, the football club.

“The special, special football club that I got to play for, travelling united and pushing in the same direction. That is not quite there at the moment.

“A lot of different versions (of events), I have got friends who support the club with all their heart and passion, and I just hope it gets resolved one way or another. The players at the moment are doing a good job domestically and are getting themselves back into it. It’s all up the air isn’t it?”

He was also cautious about bringing in Frenchman Nancy. Asked if Nancy would be a good appointment, he went on: “We are going to find out, aren’t we? I can’t tell you that I know a lot about him.

“I have obviously done my research like I’m sure everyone at the club has done. Seems to have a good record out in the MLS, and I have heard some good things from the people that I have spoken to. You know if you do well at Celtic, it’s going to well for you.”

Wilfried Nancy

The debate over Nancy’s imminent arrival has hit the US, with Nigel Reo-Coker insisting the 48-year-old does understand the European game.

He told CBS Golazo: “I will just say for the Celtic fans around the world; they don’t know him. So, there is this nervousness of ‘who is here?’ There is an arrogance of English football and European football, they want someone from Europe, someone that we know.

“He is French, he played in France, he isn’t going to be like a deer in the headlights when he goes to Europe. He will be very aware of what Celtic is as a football club, what it means to the fans – and he plays the best European style of football in America. That is the reality of it.”

But pundit Nico Cantor warned about the difference in pressure and adapting his style of play in Scotland: “The one thing I will say, because I only want to see Wilfried Nancy‘s career take off, is teams dominate with that style in the MLS.

“He was competing in every competition he possibly could. But, this is his biggest job. The reality is, in Major League Soccer you dont’ play with this type of pressure.

“Week in, week out, to deliver results immediately, because at the end of the day if he had tripped up – which he didn’t – with Columbus Crew, what is the worst that can happen?”

Reo-Coker warned Nancy that he should not let Maloney leave the coaching team to mitigate any risk, He responded: “You are 100 per cent right. But he is not going to go into it naive and not realise the beast that is being a Celtic manager.

“I don’t know the inner workings of it, but Martin O’Neill might not be there, but I know that Shaun Maloney went there. He has played there, had opportunities to manage, and is a player I know very well. Wilfried Nancy would do very well to keep Shaun Maloney next to him.

“He will have more inside knowledge of Celtic, the football club, that will benefit Wilfried Nancy.”