Player's reluctant air, running with ball (8)
I believe the answer is:
lothario
'player's' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps you can see an association between them that I don't see?
'reluctant air running with ball' is the wordplay.
'reluctant' becomes 'loth' (if you are loth to do something you are reluctant).
'running with' is an anagram indicator (the letters run around to different places).
'ball' becomes 'o' (O looks like a ball).
'air' with its letters mixed up with 'o' gives 'ario'.
'loth'+'ario'='LOTHARIO'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for lothario that I've seen before include "Casanova" , "Libertine or woman-chaser" , "Dissolute" , "Heartbreaker" , "A Gay libertine" .)