One Direction's Harry, Zayn, Louis and Niall's joint statement after Liam Payne's death

Today One Direction are expected to reunite for the first time in nine years for the funeral of bandmate Liam Payne.

The singer fell to his death from the balcony of his hotel in Buenos Aires earlier this month, leaving fans around the world devastated.

Days after the tragedy, Liam's bandmates came together for the first time in years to share their joint shock and upset at the news.

Liam's One Direction bandmates have said they are "completely devastated" by the news of his death, adding: "The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever."

In a statement signed "Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry", Liam Payne's One Direction bandmates said: "We're completely devastated by the news of Liam's passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.

"The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam."

After speaking as a collective, the foursome took to their own social media pages to pay their respects.

Louis Tomlinson broke fans' hearts as he wrote an open letter to Liam to say he would always be there for his son Bear who had been left without a dad.

In the heartbreaking post, shared on Instagram, Louis wrote: "I am beyond devastated to be writing this but yesterday I lost a brother. Liam was somebody I looked up to everyday, such a positive, funny, and kind soul.

"I first met Liam when he was 16 and I was 18, I was instantly amazed by his voice but more importantly as time went on I got a chance to see the kind brother I’d longed all my life for. Liam was an incredible song writer with a great sense of melody, we often spoke of getting back in the studio together to try and recreate the writing chemistry we had built up in the band.

"And for the record, Liam was in my opinion the most vital part of One Direction. His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on. Thank you for shaping us Liam."

He added: "A message to you Liam if you’re listening, I feel beyond lucky to have had you in my life but I’m really struggling with the idea of saying goodbye. I’m so grateful that we got even closer since the band, speaking on the phone for hours , reminiscing about all the thousands of amazing memories we had together is a luxury I thought I’d have with you for life. I would have loved to share the stage with you again but it wasn’t to be.

"I want you to know that if Bear ever needs me I will be the Uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories of how amazing his dad was. I wish I got chance to say goodbye and tell you one more time how much I loved you. Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you mate. Sleep well X"

Zayn has also broken his silence on Liam's tragic death. Posting on Instagram, Zayn wrote: "Liam, I have found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me, I can't help but think selfishly that there was so many more conversations for us to have in our lives. I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life.

"When I was missing home as a 17 yr old kid you would always be there with a positive outlook and reassuring smile and let me know you were my friend and that I was loved. Even though you were younger than me you were always more sensible than me, you were headstrong, opinionated, and gave no f***s about telling people when they were wrong.

"Even though we butted heads because of this a few times, I always secretly respected you for it. When it came to the music Liam, you were the most qualified in every sense. I knew nothing in comparison,l was a novice child with no experience and you were already a professional.

"I was always happy to know, no matter what happened on stage we could always rely on you to know which way to steer the ship next. I lost a brother when you left us and can't explain to you what l'd give to just give you a hug one last time and say goodbye to you properly and tell you that I loved and respected you dearly. I will cherish all the memories I have with you in my heart forever, there is no words that justify or explain how I feel right now other than beyond devastated.

"I hope that wherever you are right now you are good and are at peace A and you know how loved you are. Love you bro."

Harry was next to break his silence. On Thursday, he took to Instagram to share his sadness. "I am truly devastated by Liam's passing," he wrote. "His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honour to be alongside him as he did it.

"Liam lived wide open, with his heart on his sleeve, he had an energy for life that was infectious. He was warm, supportive, and incredibly loving. The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life. I will miss him always, my lovely friend. My heart breaks for Karen, Geoff, Nicola and Ruth, his son Bear, and all those around the world who knew and loved him, as I did."

Liam had checked into a hotel in Buenos Aires on Sunday and died after falling from the third floor. He was just 31 years old. A hotel manager found his body after hearing a loud noise in an internal patio at the Hotel Casa Sur.

A city ambulance provider spokesman Alberto Crescenti said that the pop star had fallen around 40 metres and had suffered “severe injuries which were incompatible with life.” Police are now investigating what happened leading up to his fall.

Local newspapers in the Argentine capital city, La Nacion and Clarin, both reported that the police were initially called to the hotel in the Palermo neighbourhood after receiving an emergency call regarding "an aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol."

Police, firefighters and ambulances were seen outside of a hotel building after Liam tragically fell. In a statement, the local ambulance manager told TN: "At 17.04 through the 911 integrated public safety system, we were alerted of a person who was in an internal courtyard of the management of a south house hotel.

"At 17.11 a SAME team arrived and verified the death of this man and later we found out that he was a singer in a musical group. Unfortunately, he had injuries that were incompatible with life, as a result of his fall, so we had to confirm his death, there was no possibility of resuscitation."

In recent weeks, Liam has been documenting his travels in Argentina and attended the concert of his former bandmate, Niall. Liam was just 16 when he was catapulted to stardom and became a member of the biggest boyband in the world.

Liam rose to fame globally as a member of the iconic boyband alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik. The group found fame after starring on X Factor in 2010 become a huge phenomenon worldwide before they eventually split in 2016 to pursue their individual ventures.

Liam's final Instagram post saw him share a picture of the band in their heyday alongside documentary maker Morgan Spurlock who made 1D's 2013 movie This Is Us. Alongside the photo, Liam wrote: "Rest in peace Morgan Spurlock it was a pleasure working with you."

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