Crossword Genius

Expert during square-bashing disheartened military recruit (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

sprog

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'recruit' is the definition.
(I know that sprog is a type of recruit)

'expert during square-bashing disheartened military' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'expert' could be 'pro' (short for professional) and 'pro' is found within the answer.
'square' could be 's' (abbreviation) and 's' is found within the answer.
A single letter 'g' remains which might be clued in a way I don't understand.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for sprog that I've seen before include "Infant" , "Baby (slang)" , "Kid" , "Child; recruit (mil. slang)" , "little one" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.