Colourful footballer's bird (7)
I believe the answer is:
redwing
'bird' is the definition.
(redwing is a kind of bird)
'colourful footballer's' is the wordplay.
'colourful' becomes 'red' ('red' can be similar in meaning to 'colourful').
'footballer' becomes 'wing' (I've seen this in other clues).
'red'+'wing'='REDWING'
(Other definitions for redwing that I've seen before include "Migratory thrush" , "Flyer" .)