Hull City Pearson started his career with hometown club
Hull City, whom he joined as an amateur while doing an apprenticeship as a telephone engineer. He scored 44 league goals for the Tigers after becoming a first team regular when record scorer
Chris Chilton left in 1971. An assistant manager to
Terry Neill at the time was
Tommy Docherty, who subsequently became manager of
Manchester United and signed Pearson in May 1974 for £200,000, with reserve player
Peter Fletcher moving to Hull as part of the deal.
Manchester United Pearson was bought by Manchester United after they were relegated to the Second Division and was instrumental in getting the club promoted back to the First Division the next season by scoring 17 goals. Every time he scored a goal he would celebrate with a raised right fist. He was in the team that lost 1–0 to
Southampton in the
1976 FA Cup Final. The next year Pearson helped Manchester United win the
1977 FA Cup Final against Liverpool, scoring the first of Manchester United's goals in their 2–1 win. He was sidelined for nearly all of the 1978–79 season due to a knee injury but made a full recovery before leaving Manchester United for
West Ham United in August 1979.
West Ham United He helped the Hammers win the
1980 FA Cup Final, with his cross-shot setting up
Trevor Brooking for the only goal in a 1–0 win over Arsenal. During interviews after the game,
Barry Davies described him as "a big occasion player" and suggested that but for his injuries he would have been England's finest striker. Pearson retired from league football in 1982 due to a knee injury, but continued to play at a lower level, in South Africa and the
NASL. ==International career==