The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word FOOTWORK
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
F
O
O
T
W
O
R
K
More clues leading to the result FOOTWORK
- Skilful Manoeuvring‘s a book by a former Labour leader
- Pay to go and see a bit of Messi’s skill
- Dancing skill possibly OK for covering tango requirement
- Skilful manoeuvring of old couple in parting of the ways
- Part impressed by old couple’s dancing technique
- Dance steps OK for comic, after consuming a couple
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "a bit of Messi’s skill" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case a bit of messi’s skill = footwork.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 FOOTWORK mean?
FOOTWORK noun- Any movement of the feet, especially intricate or complex movement, as in sports or dancing.
- A subgenre of juke/ghetto house and style of street dance that originated in Chicago in the early 1990s.