“Talisman”
/ˈtælɪzmən/
noun · soccer
Definition
A player whose presence alone lifts a team. Not necessarily the best player on paper, but the one everyone else plays with more belief when they're on the pitch, and noticeably less when they're not.
Origin
Goes back to the 1630s, borrowed into English via French and Arabic from an ancient Greek word meaning "religious rite" or "consecration." Originally it meant a charm or engraved object believed to ward off evil and bring good fortune. Soccer writers stole it centuries later for the same basic idea, minus the actual magic.
Used in a sentence
"Argentina without Messi just isn't the same team, is it?" "Nah. He's their talisman. Doesn't matter what the stat sheet says, they play different with him out there."
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