Footballers in local street upset little kids (7)

I believe the answer is:

infants

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

'little kids' is the definition.
'infants' can be an answer for 'kids' (infant is a kind of kid). I'm not certain of the 'little' bit.

'footballers in local street upset' is the wordplay.
'footballers' becomes 'FA' (Football Association abbreviation).
'in' indicates putting letters inside.
'local' becomes 'inn' (local can mean someone's local pub).
'street' becomes 'st' (abbreviation).
'upset' shows that the letters should be reversed in order.
'st' backwards is 'ts'.
'fa' going within 'inn' is 'infan'.
'infan'+'ts'='INFANTS'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for infants that I've seen before include "Little ones" , "Young babies" , "Small babies" , "Very young children" , "Very small humans" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.

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