| MENOFSTRAW | Defenders for first hero? |
| BLACKGUARD | Denounce two defenders for crossing line (10) |
| SPCA | Fido's defenders, for short |
| TASERS | X2 Defenders, for instance |
| DANISH | Dan is first hero from Copenhagen (6) |
| DADDY | Child's first hero, maybe |
| CRENEL | Opening between two merlons at the top of a medieval castle wall or parapet, used by defenders for firing arrows (6) |
| OCHRE | Yellow shown by country's first hero to turn (5) |
| LSAT | Exam for a future public defender, for short |
| ACLU | First Amendment defender, for short |
| SAMUELQUINA | Central defender for Benfica in the 1980s and 1990s who won five caps for Portugal |
| TONYADAMS | Ex-central defender for Arsenal FC who won 66 caps for England (4,5) |
| BACK | Ring the defender for a second interview ... (4,4) |
| CALL | Ring the defender for a second interview ... (4,4) |
| AURIER | Serge, Ivorian defender for Spurs (6) |
| TYRONE | ___ Mings, central defender for Aston Villa and England (6) |
| MATIP | Joel, German-born Cameroonian central defender for Liverpool (5) |
| FEEDBACK | Pass ball to defender for reaction (8) |
| SAVOUR | Smack defender for losing semi-final (6) |
| KYLE | ____ Walker, English defender for Manchester City FC (4) |
