Anders Aplin
Anders Eric Aplin is a Singapore international footballer who plays as a defender for Singapore Premier League club Hougang United.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Anders Eric Aplin | ||
| Date of birth | 21 June 1991 | ||
| Place of birth | Singapore | ||
| Playing position(s) | Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Hougang United | ||
| Number | 2 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| National Football Academy U-18s | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Singapore Cricket Club | |||
| Singapore Recreation Club | |||
| 2016–2019 | Geylang International | 55 | (1) |
| 2018–2019 | → Matsumoto Yamaga (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2020– | Hougang United | 3 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2018– | Singapore | 2 | (0) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17 August 2018 ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 24 March 2018 | |||
Personal life
He is the cousin of former Singapore international footballer Tan Kim Leng.[1] Aplin is also a graduate of Nanyang Technological University, with a degree in business. He was also a commando in the Singapore Armed Forces during his National Service.[1]
Youth career
Anders was part of the Singapore Sports School's inaugural cohort of footballers and moved on to the National Football Academy under-18s.[2] In 2009, he was part of the Victoria Junior College football team which won the National Schools A Division title.[3][4]
Club career
Singapore Cricket Club
Although Anders 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.[1]
Singapore Recreation Club
Anders next played for Singapore Recreation Club , where he was spotted by Geylang coach 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 Anders' aggression and determination.[5]
Geylang International
Anders started his professional football career with Geylang International in 2016 and made his debut in a League Cup game against Balestier Khalsa.[6] He signed his first professional contract a year later. His performances in the 2017 S.League season saw him win his first call up to Singapore national team. He was also picked for a trial with J2 League side Matsumoto Yamaga FC in early 2018.[5]
Matsumoto Yamaga
On 7 August 2018, it was announced on the club's website that Anders had signed a loan deal with Matsumoto Yamaga until the end of the season. This loan made Anders the first Singaporean to play in the J2 League and in Japan.[7][8]
International career
Anders 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 October 10.[9] He made his debut on 23 March 2018 in a 3-2 win against Maldives, replacing Irfan Fandi in the 73rd minute.[10]
Career statistics
Club
As of match played 16 April 2017
| Season | S.League | Singapore Cup | League Cup | ACL | AFC Cup | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Geylang International | 2016 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | |||
| 2017 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 24 | 0 | ||||
| 2018 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 8 | 1 | ||||
| 2019 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 36 | 0 | |
| Matsumoto Yamaga FC (loan) | 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | |
| Hougang United | 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | |
| Career total | 45 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 36 | 0 | |
International Statstics
International caps
| No | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 March 2018 | Bishan Stadium, National Stadium, Singapore |  | 3-2 (won) | Friendly |
| 2 | 27 March 2018 | Taipei Municipal Stadium, Taipei, Taiwan | .svg.png){kind=small} | 0-1 (lost) | 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification – Third Round |
As of match played 27 March 2018 Appearances and goals by national team and year
| Singapore National Team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2018 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 0 |
References
- hermes (2017-10-01). "Football: Anders Aplin follows familiar route to national team". The Straits Times. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
- "Geylang defender aiming to make the most of his second shot". FourFourTwo. 2017-03-20. Archived from the original on 2018-03-25. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
- "Stories From the A Division to the S.League: Five players who made the leap". 2017-11-10. Archived from the original on 2018-03-25.
- "SVJC is National 'A' Division Boys Soccer Champion". 2009-05-25.
- "Geylang defender Aplin set for trials in Japan". The New Paper. 2018-01-11. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
- "Anders Aplin soars with the Eagles". The Nanyang Chronicle. 2016-10-04. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
- "Football: Matsumoto Yamaga unveils loan signing Anders Aplin, the first Singaporean in J.League". The Straits Time. 2018-08-17. Retrieved 2018-08-17.
- "Anders profile in club's website" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-08-17.
- "Anders Aplin follows familiar route to national team". Straits Times. 2017-10-01. Retrieved 2018-03-13.
- "Singapore Player Ratings: Lions edge past Maldives for long-awaited win". FourFourTwo. 2018-03-23. Archived from the original on 2018-03-25. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
- "Career stats". soccerway.com. 2018-03-13. Retrieved 2018-03-13.
