Although Aplin was part of the Singapore Sports School's inaugural cohort of footballers, playing alongside future Lions such as Safuwan Baharudin and Madhu Mohana, his decision to focus on his studies saw him fall through the cracks of Singapore's professional football circuit. As a result, Anders played for Singapore Cricket Club in the amateur National Football League.[4]
Singapore Recreation Club
Aplin next played for another NFL side, Singapore Recreation Club, where he was spotted by Geylang International coach Mohd Noor Ali, who was then helming Yishun Sentek Mariners. He was invited for trials with Geylang at the end of 2015 who was drawn to his aggression and determination.[5]
On 7 August 2018, it was announced on the club's website that Aplin had signed a loan deal with Matsumoto Yamaga until the end of the season. This loan made him the first Singaporean to play in the J2 League and in Japan.[8][9] In his time at the Japanese club, Aplin had his own cheer song from the club Ultras.
Aplin was first called up by coach V. Sundramoorthy in 2017 although he did not travel with the team for the friendly against Qatar and the Asian Cup qualifier against Turkmenistan on 10 October.[10] He made his debut on 23 March 2018 in a 3-2 win against Maldives, replacing Irfan Fandi in the 73rd minute.[11]
From December 2019 to March 2021, Aplin was married to Rachel Wong, having first met while studying at NTU. The marriage was later annulled by Aplin on accounts of Wong's infidelity.[12][13][14]