In 1930–31 he helped the club to achieve promotion to the First Division and played in the 1931 FA Cup Final, in which Albion beat Birmingham 2–1.
In 1932 he earned his only cap for England, marking the occasion with a clean sheet in a 3–0 win over Scotland at Wembley Stadium.
[3] Pearson kept goal in the 1935 FA Cup Final, but this time earned only a runners-up medal as his team lost 4–2 to Sheffield Wednesday.
After making 303 appearances for West Bromwich Albion, he joined Millwall for a £300 transfer fee in August 1937.
He remained with Millwall until his retirement in 1940, though he did appear as a guest player for West Ham United later in Second World War.