Former Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder returns to action with Vitesse after almost a year out

After eleven months out due to injury, Davy Pröpper celebrated his return to the pitch on Sunday. The 32-year-old midfielder appeared as a substitute in a friendly match between Vitesse and VfL Bochum.

Pröpper, who has previously played for Brighton & Hove Albion and PSV Eindhoven, suffered a cruciate ligament tear last year. In total, the 17-time Netherlands international has missed 33 matches since his move back to Vitesse in January 2023.

Two years ago, Davy Pröpper announced his retirement from football, rather unexpectedly. Just a week after coming out of retirement, he suffered the dreadful injury that has kept him away from the pitch for so long. Pröpper finally picked up some minutes in Vitesse’s friendly clash with Bundesliga outfit Bochum, which they won 2-0.

Vitesse could use a fit Davy Pröpper. They’re currently rock bottom of the Eredivisie table having recently sacked head coach Phillip Cocu. With just eleven points from their first 16 matches, the Arnhem-based club need to pick up some points to avoid suffering their first relegation to the second tier since the 1979/80 campaign.