McPherson started his career at St Mirren[2] before joining Liverpool in the English Football League in 1906,[3] scoring 11 goals in 32 appearances in his debut season.
[5] He did not win a major trophy with any of his clubs; he joined Liverpool when they were reigning English champions but they did not challenge for honours during his two-year spell.
He appeared in the 1909 Scottish Cup Final for Rangers against Celtic, which went to a second replay only for the trophy to be withdrawn after rioting by spectators who believed the two matches had been drawn deliberately to boost revenues.
[7] The Gers were Scottish Football League champions in 1910–11 but McPherson did not play for the club at all that season, being loaned to hometown non-league side Beith in February 1911[1] before moving on to Hearts that summer; the Edinburgh club were third in the league and semi-finalists in the cup in both campaigns he played for them.
[8] During his time at Liverpool, McPherson played in one Home Scots v Anglo-Scots international trial in 1907 and scored for his side,[9][2] but he never gained a full cap for Scotland.