Dirk Proper

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

Dirk Proper
Personal information
Full nameDirk Wanner Proper[1]
Date of birth (2002-02-24) 24 February 2002 (age 22)
Place of birthElst, Netherlands
Height1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)[2]
Position(s)Midfielder
Team information
Current team
NEC
Number71
Youth career
SV Spero
2011–2019NEC
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2019–NEC118(6)
International career
2017Netherlands U155(2)
2017–2018Netherlands U1610(0)
2018–2019Netherlands U1716(2)
2019Netherlands U183(0)
Medal record
Representing  Netherlands
UEFA European Under-17 Championship
Winner2019U-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, 15 December 2019 (UTC)

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]

Career statistics

As of match played 6 May 2024[11]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cupEuropeOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
NEC2019–20Eerste Divisie90000090
2020–21Eerste Divisie3011000311
2021–22Eredivisie22031251
2022–23Eredivisie32130351
2023–24Eredivisie25442296
Career total118611300001299

Honours

Netherlands U17

References