Champion footballer I see (7)
I believe the answer is:
messiah
'champion' is the definition.
'footballer i see' is the wordplay.
'footballer' becomes 'messi' (footballer Lionel Messi).
'i see' becomes 'ah' (exclamation used to indicate understanding).
'messi'+'ah'='MESSIAH'
(Other definitions for messiah that I've seen before include "Redeemer" , "Choral work often performed at Christmas" , "Handel's oratorio first performed in Dublin" , "Expected deliverer of Jewish people in Old Testament" , "Handel's composition, sung annually by Our Lady's Choral Society" .)