mcpherson played mainly as a striker at rangers, but was often used in other positions including goalkeeper. he played in the inaugural scottish league season, 1890–91, where rangers finished as joint champions with dumbarton. mcpherson's first recorded appearance was in a friendly against everton on 19 april 1890 at ibrox, and he scored in a 6–2 defeat. his first league appearance, however, was in rangers' first ever scottish league match, on 16 august 1890 in a 5–2 win over hearts at ibrox, in which he scored. mcpherson scored 15 goals in rangers' 18 matches in the league that season, including four in a 6–2 win over cambuslang at whitefield park on 23 august 1890 (the first ever hat-trick scored in the scottish football league) and five in an 8–2 win over st mirren on 4 october 1890.