The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word GOALKEEPER
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
G
O
A
L
K
E
E
P
E
R
More clues leading to the result GOALKEEPER
- One saving object again to look quickly over
- A person who maintains objectives and always tries to save
- Hugo Allen is such a footballer!
- After gaol has change of heart, guard becomes number one
- Aim to retain central hero as Number 1
- Player at Indian resort’s an outcast having contracted leukemia at heart
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "footballer" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case footballer = goalkeeper.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.
What does GOALKEEPER mean?
GOALKEEPER noun- A designated player that attempts to prevent the opposing team from scoring by protecting a goal.