Cryptic crossword clue
Former prolific scorer tried without finishing in Arsenal game 4,7

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 plus 7 letter word ALAN SHEARER

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
A
L
A
N
S
H
E
A
R
E
R

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Former prolific scorer" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case former prolific scorer = alan shearer.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

Latest crossword clues with full explanations