 Pearce was sold back to his old club Portsmouth on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee, reported to be in the region of £300,000, up to £600,000, on 24 June 2011.Pearce joined his new club alongside David Norris when the first team came back from absence on 1 July.After being suspended for the first three games of the season due to a red card in his last game for Bournemouth, Pearce made his debut on 16 August 2011, against Reading, playing as a centre-back.