I wouldn't read anything into it. He actually wore 44 last season (he wore 66 in 2017-18). He was wearing 44 last week in training.
Ben White was wearing 28 last week before his move to Leeds.
This season he scored two Premier League goals and provided six assists; that means he was directly involved in 23% of the goals we scored. That contribution is more than just an "occasional cameo".
He certainly hasn't set the Premier League alight over the last two seasons, but which of our...