Defender defending header from Leeds player (5)
I believe the answer is:
black
'player' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe you can see a link between them that I don't see?
'defender defending header from leeds' is the wordplay.
'defender' becomes 'back' (left-backs and right-backs are football defenders).
'defending' is an insertion indicator (inserted letters are defended).
'header from' indicates taking the first letters.
The first letter of 'leeds' is 'l'.
'back' placed around 'l' is 'BLACK'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for black that I've seen before include "Uncommon H [HORSE]" , "Desperate" , "Dirty" , "Boycott" , "Very darkest colour" .)