The Preston North End midfielder starred in their win against Aston Villa yesterday.
Ben Pearson had one of the best football educations you could hope for as he came through the ranks at the Manchester United academy. Despite being a player with talent, as his appearances for a number of England under age teams showed, Pearson had the same issue which so many youngsters have at a “big club” and that is finding a clear pathway to the first-team. So a decision had to be made whether he stay and potentially fade away into obscurity, or try to make a career for himself elsewhere.
Pearson chose the latter option and went on loan to League One club Barnsley at the start of 2015. He made 21 appearances and made such a impression on their coaching staff that the Yorkshire based club brought him back for a second stint at the start of the 2015/16 season. He played another 23 games for the Tykes before United cut his loan period short in January amid interest from Championship clubs. Soon after he was signed by Preston North End for £100,000.
Since making the step up to the Championship, Pearson has been a solid contributor without being outstanding. This season had been been a struggle for the midfielder, as he made his first league start of the season in the midweek draw against Birmingham City. However that all changed yesterday when Preston beat Aston Villa 2-0, which was their fourth win of the season.
It was the first league clash between the teams for 42 years and Pearson set the tone for the victory scoring in the fifth minute. However, it was not just his goal which stood out about his performance but his all-round display in general.
While he was comfortable with the ball at his feet, Pearson’s ability to harass the opposition and commit a strong tackle to win back possession for his team were impressive features.
It was a fine achievement in his fledgling career that he was able to go toe to toe with Premier League veterans such as Mile Jedinak and Ashley Westwood and come out on top with a Man of the Match display.
Pearson is lucky that he has experienced teammates in the midfield to learn from such as John Welsh and Aiden McGeady. There is little doubt that they will be telling Pearson the next step in his development is to back up that performance on a weekly basis.
The Lilywhites have are in the midst of a good run of form, picking up seven points from their last three games. However, a quick glance at their upcoming fixtures will tell you it is a challenging road ahead. Games against Brighton, Huddersfield, Norwich and Newcastle (once in league and once in the EFL Cup) are the ultimate opponents in the Championship at present. However you get the feeling that Pearson and his teammates will embrace the challenges ahead.
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