Dirk Wanner Proper (born 24 February 2002) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Eredivisie club NEC.
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. He made his professional debut in the Dutch second-tier Eerste Divisie on 13 December 2019 in a 3âÂÂ2 loss to Almere City. In January 2020, Proper was definitively promoted to the NEC first team. He gradually became integrated into the first team during this 2019âÂÂ20 season, with head coach François Gesthuizen utilising him as an attacking midfielder.
In July 2020, Proper's contract was extended until the summer of 2023. Proper scored his first goal on 3 October 2020 in the 6âÂÂ0 win over Eindhoven. On 23 May 2021, Proper won promotion to the Eredivisie with NEC, by beating NAC Breda 2âÂÂ1 in the final of the play-offs.
Proper made his debut in the Eredivisie on 14 August 2021, the first matchday of the 2021âÂÂ22 season, starting in a 5âÂÂ0 away loss to Ajax at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
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.
Proper combines his football career with a study in psychology at the Radboud University in Nijmegen.
Netherlands U17