International player being dealt with submissively (3,2,4)
I believe the answer is:
cap in hand
'submissively' is the definition.
(to go cap in hand is to humbly make a request)
'international player being dealt with' is the wordplay.
'international player' becomes 'cap' (a player who has earned international caps).
'being dealt with' becomes 'inhand' (I've seen this before).
'cap'+'inhand'='CAP IN HAND'
(Other definitions for cap in hand that I've seen before include "In begging posture" , "Go thus like mendicant holding headgear" , "with humility" , "unassumingly" , "Go bareheaded thus to be obsequious" .)