Dirk Proper

Dirk Proper
Personal information
Full name Dirk Wanner Proper[1]
Date of birth (2002-02-24) 24 February 2002 (age 22)
Place of birth Elst, Netherlands
Height 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 NEC
Number 71
Youth career
SV Spero
2011–2019 NEC
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019– NEC 118 (6)
International career‡
2017 Netherlands U15 5 (2)
2017–2018 Netherlands U16 10 (0)
2018–2019 Netherlands U17 16 (2)
2019 Netherlands U18 3 (0)
2023 Netherlands U21 7 (1)
Medal record
Representing  Netherlands
UEFA European Under-17 Championship
Winner 2019 U-17 Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:40, 6 May 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11:44, 9 October 2024 (UTC)

Dirk Wanner Proper (born 24 February 2002) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Eredivisie club NEC.

Club career

Born in Elst, Gelderland, Proper started playing football at amateur club SV Spero before joining the NEC youth academy at the age of nine, where he was quickly regarded as one of the club's most promising prospects.[3] He made his professional debut in the Dutch second-tier Eerste Divisie on 13 December 2019 in a 3–2 loss to Almere City.[4] In January 2020, Proper was definitively promoted to the NEC first team. He gradually became integrated into the first team during this 2019–20 season, with head coach François Gesthuizen utilising him as an attacking midfielder.[5]

In July 2020, Proper's contract was extended until the summer of 2023.[6] Proper scored his first goal on 3 October 2020 in the 6–0 win over Eindhoven.[7] On 23 May 2021, Proper won promotion to the Eredivisie with NEC, by beating NAC Breda 2–1 in the final of the play-offs.[8]

Proper made his debut in the Eredivisie on 14 August 2021, the first matchday of the 2021–22 season, starting in a 5–0 away loss to Ajax at the Johan Cruyff Arena.[9]

International career

From under-15 level, Proper has been part of Netherlands youth teams. With the Netherlands under-17 team, he won the 2019 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. He also participated in the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup.[10]

Personal life

Proper combines his football career with a study in psychology at the Radboud University in Nijmegen.[11]

Career statistics

As of match played 6 May 2024[12]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
NEC 2019–20 Eerste Divisie 9 0 0 0 — 0 0 9 0
2020–21 Eerste Divisie 30 1 1 0 — 0 0 31 1
2021–22 Eredivisie 22 0 3 1 — — 25 1
2022–23 Eredivisie 32 1 3 0 — — 35 1
2023–24 Eredivisie 25 4 4 2 — — 29 6
Career total 118 6 11 3 0 0 0 0 129 9

Honours

Netherlands U17

References

  1. ^ "FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019: List of Players: Netherlands" (PDF). FIFA. 31 October 2019. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 December 2019.
  2. ^ "Dirk Proper". NEC Nijmegen (in Dutch). 16 January 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  3. ^ "Summer interview (4): football talent Dirk Proper moves between Goffert stadium and the university". Vox Magazine. 28 July 2020.
  4. ^ "NEC vs. Almere City - 13 December 2019 - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  5. ^ Broek, Danny van den (13 February 2020). "Blik op NEC: Rol van regisseur vindt Dirk Proper nog overdreven". de Gelderlander (in Dutch).
  6. ^ Zundert, Bram van (8 July 2020). "Talent Dirk Proper (18) verlengt contract bij NEC met twee jaar". de Gelderlander (in Dutch).
  7. ^ "NEC biedt volop vermaak in Goffert, FC Eindhoven figureert". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 3 October 2020.
  8. ^ "NEC verslaat NAC in slotfase en keert na vier jaar terug in de eredivisie". nos.nl (in Dutch). 23 May 2021.
  9. ^ Spaans, Jan Willem (20 August 2021). "Interview Dirk Proper: "Zo gaan we wel punten pakken"". Elfvoetbal (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  10. ^ "OnsOranje - Dirk Proper - O17". Ons Oranje (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  11. ^ "Student Psychologie doordeweeks en profvoetballer in het weekend". Radboud University (in Dutch). Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  12. ^ Dirk Proper at Soccerway. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  13. ^ "Netherlands retain #U17EURO title: at a glance". UEFA.com. 19 May 2019.