Niall Horan says Liam Payne's death 'doesn't feel real'

Liam Payne's former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan said he was “absolutely devastated” by “his amazing friend's passing”.

Payne died Wednesday evening in Buenos Aires and was in Argentina to see Horan perform on tour.

It just doesn't feel real,” Horan wrote.

“I feel so lucky that I got to see him recently. Sadly I didn't know that after saying goodbye to him that evening, I would be gone forever. It's heartbreaking.”

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

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

Horan, 31, also sent his “love and condolences” to Penn's family.

“Thanks for everything, Peno,” she signed off.

Full coverage of Liam Payne's death:

The pair have remained friendly since One Direction's 2016 split, with Payne explaining to fans on Snapchat earlier this month that he visited Horan for a catch-up.

He said: “It's been a while since Neil and I have spoken, we have a lot to talk about.

“No bad vibes or anything like that, but we need to talk,” he added.

Payne attended Horan's concert last week, again posting social media videos of himself and girlfriend Kate Cassidy singing and dancing at the performance.

Horan reportedly finished his world tour in Bogota, Colombia on October 9 and then returned to his home in London.

He was the final member of One Direction to post a separate statement on Payne's death, 31.

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

Harry Styles said this in his personal statement That her “heart breaks” for Payne's family and added: “His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honor to be by his side as he did that.”

Louis Tomlinson echoed Styles' sentiments, describing Liam as “the most important part of One Direction” who had a “gift for writing”.

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

Ed Sheeran, who co-wrote Payne's 2017 debut single Strip That Down, reacted to the news on Instagram on Friday, saying he was “at a loss for words”.

“My thoughts are with his family and loved ones, every memory I have with him is wonderful, just such a heartbreaking situation. Be kind,” he added.