Niall Horan says Liam Payne’s death ‘doesn’t feel real’

Liam Payne’s former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan has said he is “absolutely devastated” by the “death of his amazing friend”.

Payne died Wednesday evening in Buenos Aires and had flown to Argentina to watch Horan perform on the tour.

“It doesn’t feel real,” Horan wrote.

“I feel very lucky to have seen him recently. Unfortunately, I did not know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It is heartbreaking.”

In the statement posted on Instagram, Horan said: “Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the smartest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and safe.”

“All the laughs we’ve had over the years, sometimes about the simplest things, come to mind through the sadness. We got to live out our wildest dreams together and I will cherish every moment we had forever. The bond and friendship we had doesn’t happen often in a short time.”

Horan, 31, also sent his “love and condolences” to Payne’s family.

“Thank you for everything, Payno,” he signed.

Full coverage of Liam Payne’s death:

The pair have remained friendly since One Direction split in 2016, with Payne explaining to fans on Snapchat earlier this month that he was visiting Horan to catch up.

He said: “It’s been a long time since Niall and I have spoken, we have a lot to talk about.

He added: “There are no hard feelings or anything like that, but we have to talk.”

Payne attended Horan’s concert last week, and once again posted videos on social media of himself and girlfriend Kate Cassidy singing and dancing to the show.

Horan ended his world tour on October 9 in Bogotá, Colombia, and has since reportedly returned home to London.

He was the latest member of One Direction to release a solo statement regarding the death of 31-year-old Payne.

The band, who reunited in 2010 on The X Factor, posted a joint statement on Thursday, saying they needed time to “grief and process the loss of our brother.”

Harry Styles said in his individual statement His “heart goes out” to Payne’s family and added: “His greatest joy was making others happy, and it was an honor to be by his side while he did that.”

Louis Tomlinson echoed Styles’ sentiments, calling Liam “the most vibrant part of One Direction” who had a “gift for writing.”

Zayn Malik spoke to Payne directly in his statement, praising him for his “positive outlook and reassuring smile.”

Ed Sheeran, who co-wrote Payne’s 2017 debut single Strip That Down, also responded to the news on Instagram on Friday, saying he was “confused”.

He added: “My thoughts are with his family and loved ones. Every memory I have of him is a great memory. Such a heartbreaking situation. Be kind.”