The newly-appointed Hoops boss was given a handover from outgoing O’Neill at Lennoxtown on Thursday
18:37, 04 Dec 2025Updated 19:44, 04 Dec 2025
New Celtic boss Wilfried Nancy(Image: SNS Group)
Wilfried Nancy has revealed he’s already picked the brains of Martin O’Neill and declared: I’m the perfect fit for Celtic.
The Frenchman has been appointed new Hoops manager on a two-and-a-half-year deal after arriving from Columbus Crew.
Nancy has watched from afar as O’Neill resurrected the Parkhead club’s season following a turbulent start under Brendan Rodgers.
And the 48-year-old is confident he can hit the ground running as he prepares to make his dugout bow against Hearts on Sunday.
He told Celtic TV: “Regarding the story of this club, I think that we fit really, really well. As a human being, but also as a coach.
“The way I see football, it’s a connection with the way I live. So it’s a way of life. And the brand of Celtic fits me really well. This is something that I love.”
Nancy paid tribute to O’Neill for restoring the feel-good factor at Celtic Park after meeting the legendary gaffer for the first time yesterday.
Speaking from the club’s training ground, he said: “I just met Martin. I didn’t know him personally, but I knew him as a coach. And what a guy. Simple as that. What a guy. So, humble, genuine.
Wilfried Nancy checks in at Celtic
“We had a really good discussion. I wanted to ask him advice on certain things and we shared a few stuff.
“I’m not surprised because the way he is as a man. As a coach, sometimes we don’t have the formula, and this is a mix of everything.
“So, depending on the day, you have to be authentic and genuine as a person, because this is who you are with your players.
“And for me, Martin has been really, really good. I don’t talk about the tactical aspect and so on because we are all competent at this point. But now, this is how you manage people.
“When I watched the game when he took the team, I saw the joy and the confidence with the players. I’m not saying that Brendan did a bad job. That’s not what I’m saying.
“I’m saying that Martin found a way to do it and the outcome came naturally. So, well done, well done for him.”
Attack-minded Nancy – who masterminded a famous MLS Cup win with Columbus Crew in 2023 – is known for his successful 3-4-3 formation.
But the new man has made it clear he won’t rip up the system from day one, vowing it’ll be a gradual process as he implements his own ideas.
He said: “Yes, obviously, I thought about it, and it’s going to be new for me, I’m going to be honest with you. It’s the first time that a situation like this happened.
“But I’m confident and humble at the same time that first of all, evaluating for me, it’s something I’ve done before. I evaluated everything. I try now to add nuances, not to change everything, but to add nuances.
“And after that, be patient, knowing that patience in my job doesn’t exist. But at the same time, clarity with the players. And this is the most important.
Nancy won two cups with The Crew(Image: Getty Images)
“And after that, yes, we have a concept, we have a certain thing that for us, we believe that this is the right way to do it. So we’re going to do it. We’re going to start tomorrow.
“The idea is to bring this kind of clarity, and after that, we’ll see.”
With a hectic run of games on the horizon, Nancy wasted no time in introducing himself to the players during a Lennoxtown summit yesterday.
He said: “We have a game in three days, so I decided to do a meeting today to talk about the core values.
“Because for me, the core values is the most important. How we’re going to be able to live together and how we’re going to be able to have more certainty, depending on all the structure and all the culture that we have together.
“And after that, we’re going to talk about the philosophy. But again, we’re going to go step by step. The idea is not to change everything. The idea is to add certain things. And after that, step by step, the team will be the way I want.”
The former CF Montréal boss will be given a warm welcome by the Parkhead faithful in this weekend’s top-of-the-table clash with Hearts.
Sending a message to supporters, he said: “Listen, I am a genuine guy. Fans for me are really important because they decide to support the team, knowing that they can do something different.
“Sometimes people can have money, sometimes they cannot have money, but they decide to come to support the team.
“And for me, effort. That’s why I want to see a team that run a lot, but not in a stupid way, but who make the effort because we have to respect this.
“We want to bring joy, competitive spirits, to maximise our chance to win trophies, obviously, and to win games, knowing that this, we cannot control it.
“So what I can tell them is, we’re going to do everything to have good performance, offensively and defensively.
“When it’s going to be difficult, we’re going to stick together and try to find a solution to get better. But again, fans are essential for us. And we do this game for them to create this kind of emotion and connection with them.”