Indirect learning ability encountered in old varsity sportsperson (7)
I believe the answer is:
oblique
'indirect' is the definition.
(similar in meaning)
'learning ability encountered in old varsity sportsperson' is the wordplay.
'learning ability' becomes 'iq' (I can't justify this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'encountered in' is an insertion indicator.
'old' becomes 'o' (common abbreviation eg in OE for Old English).
'varsity sportsperson' becomes 'blue' (blue can mean an Oxford or Cambridge sportsperson).
'o'+'blue'='oblue'
'iq' going within 'oblue' is 'OBLIQUE'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for oblique that I've seen before include "Indirect - evasive" , "slash" , "Sloping; roundabout" , "This angle is obtuse or acute" , "Backhanded" .)