First Team

Gallery: Pearson's career in photos

29th Jan 2021

Born in Oldham, Pearson was just nine when he joined the Manchester United academy and aged only 14 he made his debut for the Red Devils' under-18s side.

Spending 12 years in total with United, the midfielder won the club's Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award in 2013, a prize also won by players including Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Danny Welbeck, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood.

Pearson has played for England at five youth levels, winning a total of 18 caps and scoring twice, both with the under-19s.

In January 2015 he made his Football League debut after signing on loan with Barnsley in League One. By the end of the month he also had his first senior goal, the second in a 2-1 win over Port Vale.

After making 22 appearances during his initial stint, Pearson signed for the Tykes again ahead of the following season, adding 29 more showings and two further goals.

By January 2016 the midfielder had impressed enough with Barnsley to seal a permanent move to the Championship with Preston North End.

Pearson made his second start of the following season in the EFL Cup match away to the Cherries, his strong performance holding down his place in the line-up for much of the rest of the campaign.

His first goal for Preston came in a 2-0 Deepdale win over Aston Villa in October 2016, the midfielder quick to latch onto a loose ball in the area to slot home.

During the following campaign, Pearson would play 35 times as Preston came close to securing a play-off berth in the Championship, finishing in seventh.

Pearson is known as a tough-tackling midfielder, and has grown into one of the division's best in the role during his time with North End.

Last season Pearson made 38 further Championship showings, Preston again flirting with the play-offs but finishing four points shy of the top six.

The midfielder was a key performer in the Lilywhites' 3-2 win at Vitality Stadium earlier last month, his penultimate game for the club as he soon missed matches due to an ankle injury.

AFC Bournemouth

Ben Pearson is the latest Cherries signing, and for a bit of history on the 26-year-old's career so far we've put together a photo gallery telling his story.

Click on the image above to see the caption, with the wording also reproduced below.

Photo captions

1. Born in Oldham, Pearson was just nine when he joined the Manchester United academy and aged only 14 he made his debut for the Red Devils' under-18s side.

2. Spending 12 years in total with United, the midfielder won the club's Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award in 2013, a prize also won by players including Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Danny Welbeck, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood.

3. Pearson has played for England at five youth levels, winning a total of 18 caps and scoring twice, both with the under-19s.

4. In January 2015 he made his Football League debut after signing on loan with Barnsley in League One. By the end of the month he also had his first senior goal, the second in a 2-1 win over Port Vale.

5. After making 22 appearances during his initial stint, Pearson signed for the Tykes again ahead of the following season, adding 29 more showings and two further goals.

6. By January 2016 the midfielder had impressed enough with Barnsley to seal a permanent move to the Championship with Preston North End.

7. Pearson made his second start of the following season in the EFL Cup match away to the Cherries, his strong performance holding down his place in the line-up for much of the rest of the campaign.

8. His first goal for Preston came in a 2-0 Deepdale win over Aston Villa in October 2016, the midfielder quick to latch onto a loose ball in the area to slot home.

9. During the following campaign, Pearson would play 35 times as Preston came close to securing a play-off berth in the Championship, finishing in seventh.

10. Pearson is known as a tough-tackling midfielder, and has grown into one of the division's best in the role during his time with North End.

11. Last season Pearson made 38 further Championship showings, Preston again flirting with the play-offs but finishing four points shy of the top six.

12. The midfielder was a key performer in the Lilywhites' 3-2 win at Vitality Stadium earlier last month, his penultimate game for the club as he soon missed matches due to an ankle injury.