 A lifelong Manchester United fan, Appleton progressed through the club's youth system before earning a professional contract in 1994.He had a brief loan spell at Wimbledon in 1995, featuring in their makeshift squad for the 1995 UEFA Intertoto Cup along with fellow United players Graeme Tomlinson and John O'Kane.In the 1995–96 season, Appleton was loaned out to Lincoln City for a month to get first team experience, playing four Division Three matches and one match in the Football League Trophy, before returning to Old Trafford.