Dirk Proper
{{short description|Dutch footballer (born 2002)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name = Dirk Proper
|image =
|caption =
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2002|2|24|df=y}}
|birth_place = Elst, Netherlands
|position = Midfielder
|currentclub = NEC
|clubnumber = 71
|youthyears1 =
|youthclubs1 = SV Spero
|youthyears2 = 2011–2019
|youthclubs2 = NEC
|years1 = 2019–
|clubs1 = NEC
|caps1 = 146
|goals1 = 7
|nationalyears1 = 2017
|nationalteam1 = Netherlands U15
|nationalcaps1 = 5
|nationalgoals1 = 2
|nationalyears2 = 2017–2018
|nationalteam2 = Netherlands U16
|nationalcaps2 = 10
|nationalgoals2 = 0
|nationalyears3 = 2018–2019
|nationalteam3 = Netherlands U17
|nationalcaps3 = 16
|nationalgoals3 = 2
|nationalyears4 = 2019
|nationalteam4 = Netherlands U18
|nationalcaps4 = 3
|nationalgoals4 = 0
|nationalyears5 = 2023
|nationalteam5 = Netherlands U21
|nationalcaps5 = 7
|nationalgoals5 = 1
|medaltemplates = {{Medal|Country|{{fb|Netherlands}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|UEFA European Under-17 Championship}}
|club-update = 6 June 2025
|nationalteam-update = 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.{{cite news |title=Summer interview (4): football talent Dirk Proper moves between Goffert stadium and the university |url=https://www.voxweb.nl/english/summer-interview-4-football-talent-dirk-proper-moves-between-goffert-stadium-and-the-university |work=Vox Magazine |date=28 July 2020}} He made his professional debut in the Dutch second-tier Eerste Divisie on 13 December 2019 in a 3–2 loss to Almere City.{{cite web |title=NEC vs. Almere City - 13 December 2019 - Soccerway |url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2019/12/13/netherlands/eerste-divisie/nijmegen-eendracht-combinatie/fc-omniworld/3031859/ |website=int.soccerway.com |access-date=8 April 2021}} 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.{{cite news |last1=Broek |first1=Danny van den |title=Blik op NEC: Rol van regisseur vindt Dirk Proper nog overdreven |url=https://www.gelderlander.nl/nec/blik-op-nec-rol-van-regisseur-vindt-dirk-proper-nog-overdreven~a0740188/ |work=de Gelderlander |date=13 February 2020 |language=nl}}
In July 2020, Proper's contract was extended until the summer of 2023.{{cite news |last1=Zundert |first1=Bram van |title=Talent Dirk Proper (18) verlengt contract bij NEC met twee jaar |url=https://www.gelderlander.nl/nec/talent-dirk-proper-18-verlengt-contract-bij-nec-met-twee-jaar~ad75fd98/ |work=de Gelderlander |date=8 July 2020 |language=nl}} Proper scored his first goal on 3 October 2020 in the 6–0 win over Eindhoven.{{cite news |title=NEC biedt volop vermaak in Goffert, FC Eindhoven figureert |url=https://www.ad.nl/nederlands-voetbal/nec-biedt-volop-vermaak-in-goffert-fc-eindhoven-figureert~a9d56fa4/ |work=Algemeen Dagblad |date=3 October 2020 |language=nl}} 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.{{cite news |title=NEC verslaat NAC in slotfase en keert na vier jaar terug in de eredivisie |url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2382041-nec-verslaat-nac-in-slotfase-en-keert-na-vier-jaar-terug-in-de-eredivisie |work=nos.nl |date=23 May 2021 |language=nl}}
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.{{cite web |last1=Spaans |first1=Jan Willem |title=Interview Dirk Proper: "Zo gaan we wel punten pakken" |url=https://www.elfvoetbal.nl/binnenland/280895/interview-dirk-proper-zo-gaan-we-wel-punten-pakken |website=Elfvoetbal |access-date=14 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210820232056/https://www.elfvoetbal.nl/binnenland/280895/interview-dirk-proper-zo-gaan-we-wel-punten-pakken |archive-date=20 August 2021 |language=nl |date=20 August 2021 |url-status=live}}
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.{{cite web |title=OnsOranje - Dirk Proper - O17 |url=https://www.onsoranje.nl/toernooien/4225/selectie/184965/speler/23686/loopbaan?page=1 |website=Ons Oranje |access-date=8 April 2021 |language=nl}}
Personal life
Proper combines his football career with a study in psychology at the Radboud University in Nijmegen.{{cite web|title=Student Psychologie doordeweeks en profvoetballer in het weekend| url=https://www.ru.nl/dirk-proper|website = Radboud University|access-date=9 October 2024|language=nl}}
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 6 May 2024}}{{Soccerway|dirk-proper/525939|accessdate=14 January 2023}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup !colspan="2"|Europe !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="5"|NEC
|9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21
|Eerste Divisie |30 | 1 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | 31 | 1 | ||
| 2021–22
|22 | 0 | 3 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 25 | 1 | |||
| 2022–23
|Eredivisie |32 | 1 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 35 | 1 | |||
| 2023–24
|Eredivisie |25 | 4 | 4 | 2 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 29 | 6 | |||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!118 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 129 | 9 |
{{notelist}}
Honours
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{sports links}}
{{N.E.C. squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Proper, Dirk}}
Category:People from Overbetuwe
Category:Footballers from Gelderland
Category:Dutch men's footballers
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Netherlands men's youth international footballers