Niall Horan has paid tribute to his fellow One Direction bandmate Liam Payne following his tragic death.
The star, 31, took to Instagram to issue a heartbreaking statement about the loss of his beloved friend.
The statement reads: “I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam. It just doesn’t feel real.
“Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and secure.
“All the laughs we had over the years, sometimes about the simplest of things, keep coming 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 lifetime. I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently.
“I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking. My love and condolences go to Geoff, Karen, Ruth, Nicola and of course his son Bear.
“Thank you for everything, Payno. Love you brother. Nialler”
Liam tragically died when he fell from a balcony on the third floor of a high-end boutique hotel in Buenos Aires on Wednesday October 16.
He had travelled to Argentina with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy to watch Niall Horan perform at Movistar Arena in the days before his sudden death.
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