Inventor backed team, never taking a different direction (6)
I believe the answer is:
edison
'inventor' is the definition.
(Edison is an example)
'backed team never taking a different direction' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite understand how this works, but
'taking' could be 'on' (eg one taking drugs is 'on' drugs) and 'on' is found within the answer.
'direction' could be 's' (S is an example) and 's' is found in the answer.
The remaining letters 'edi' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for edison that I've seen before include "US scientist/inventor" , "The inventor is strangely onside" , "Inventor with over 1,000 US patents to his name, d. 1931" , "US inventor of phonograph, electric light etc." , "He came up with microphone" .)