This cliched phrase refers to players who remind people of football in the past in some way. For example, several decades ago, it was common for players to stay at one or two clubs all their CAREER. Now, players seem to change teams every one or two years. Players who stay at one team are extremely rare, they are a dying breed. The phrase could also refer to hard tackling players, common in the past, but in the modern game ,physical contact has been reduced – these players are a dying breed, there are fewer of them than in the past. Dying Breed.
Example: One-club players such as Steven Gerrard are a dying breed in modern day football Example: Player-managers are a dying breed in the current era of football – hardly any teams EMPLOY a manager who also plays for the team