Heerenveen is happy with the arrival of Dirk Proper, the 24-year-old midfielder who made his first official minutes for the club from Friesland last Saturday. Proper traded NEC earlier this week for Heerenveen and signed a contract until mid-2030. The midfielder received a lot of interest. "I had other options, but for me it was actually clear right away", he explains to Omrop Fryslân. "I find this a big and beautiful club. And I hope I can make many minutes. Moreover, Heerenveen was there early." The 24-year-old youth international was always a standout player for NEC and seemed to be a transfer up to make, but last season he suddenly played a lot less. "On the one hand, that's true, but on the other hand you also see that NEC has grown. You see that too in the third place of last season. And I'm just a player who at this age wants to play a lot." Last Saturday, Proper stood against Volos (3-2) for the first time with a Heerenveen shirt on the field in the Abe Lenstra Stadium. "I have a good feeling. I'm happy that I got to play right away. Although it surprised me in that sense, because I'm fit", Proper concludes. Heerenveen is currently in 8th place in the Eredivisie, with 44 points from 30 games. They have scored 53 goals and conceded 50 goals, with a goal difference of +3. They are 30 points behind PSV Eindhoven in the title race. Their next match is against Ajax on January 31, 2027.