| PETER | Tall England footballer, _ Crouch (5) |
| ANDYCADDICK | 1.96m tall England paceman with 234 Test wickets from 1993 (4,7) |
| WAYNE | Former Manchester Utd and England footballer, _ Rooney (5) |
| USAIN | Jamaican sprinter-turned- footballer, _ Bolt(5) |
| AARON | Welsh footballer, _ Ramsey (5) |
| DIEGO | Controversial deceased Argentine footballer, _ Maradona (5) |
| ELLEN | Former female footballer, _ White (5) |
| DAVID | Former footballer, _ Beckham (5) |
| CALUM | Reality TV show participant and model whose father was a footballer, _ Best (5) |
| JESSE | Ex-Manchester United footballer _ Lingard, who now plays for FC Seoul (5) |
| TOXIC | Poisonous to footballers ___ middling grade (5) |
| JACK | Aston Villa and England footballer _ Grealish (4) |
| THEO | Southampton and England footballer, ___ Walcott |
| NATHANIEL | Liverpool and England footballer, _ Clyne (9) |
| JARROD | West Ham winger and England footballer, _ Bowen (6) |
| TRACEY | ___ Crouch, Conservative politician who was sports minister from 2015 to 2018 (6) |
| DIDIER | Award-winning footballer; _ Drogba (6) |
| BOOK | Thus take name of offending footballer ___ reserve? (4) |
| RYAN | Cardiff born footballer, _ Giggs (4) |
| ROY | Fictional footballer ____ Race played for Melchester Rovers |
