What does the cryptic crossword clue "Reportedly offensive winger, Italian footballer (4,6)" mean?

The definition is "footballer". The wordplay uses a homophone (sounds like). RUUD (synonym="RUUD") + GULL (synonym="”winger” (a bird with wings") + IT (synonym="Italian") = RUUDGULLIT; definition: "footballer" The answer is RUUDGULLIT.

Reportedly offensive winger, Italian footballer (4,6)

Guardian Cryptic #29248 | 20 Across | 2023-12-08 flower

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