Louis Tomlinson 'very proud' of Harry Styles as he makes rare One Direction admission

Louis Tomlinson has revealed he's "very proud" of his former bandmate . The two found fame as one-fifth of back in 2010, after former Pussycat Dolls star spearheaded the decision to create the band on The .

Despite finishing the show in third place, the band, consisting of , 33, Harry, 31, , 31, , 32, and the late , 31, they went on to find fame across the globe and became one of the biggest selling boybands of all time.

For five years, the band toured the globe, racked up countless Number 1 records and dozens of awards before making the decision to start a hiatus. However, just one year later, it emerged that their hiatus had turned into a permanent split.

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But since then, all five members have gone on to carve out successful solo careers. Now, Doncaster-born Louis has silenced speculation that he has become distant from his bandmates as he opened up about his bond with Cheshire's Harry. Speaking on a new podcast, he said he's in regular contact.

"I do still know him," he said on the Yoto Daily Soccer Aid Special podcast. Louis went on to say: "I used to be in a band with him, we're not in a band anymore so that's what happens. But yeah, still good friends with him.

"Still very, very proud of him, taking over the , definitely." Fans have since reacted to the sweet admission, with one writing: "Oh God, that's so cute." A second went on to add: "My heart just exploded." "I'm sobbing so f***ng hard. Nobody speak to me. This is the best day ever," exclaimed a third.

Meanwhile, a fourth added: "Today just became the best day of my life." Since launching their solo careers, Louis has gone on to release two studio albums, Walls, which charted at Number Four in 2020, as well as Faith in the Future, which saw him take Number One in November 2022.

Elsewhere, Harry's debut album charted at Number One, with his second taking the second spot, and his third solo album, Harry's House, hitting the top spot across the globe. He's also bagged an impressive six BRIT Awards and three solo Grammy Awards – despite being nominated nine times.

Louis' comments come just days before he'll walk out onto the pitch at Old Trafford as part of Soccer Aid for UNICEF. The musician will play alongside the likes of Tom Grennan, Roman Kemp, Toni Duggan, , Alex Brooker, Angryginge and James Nelson-Joyce.

Speaking about taking part in the match, Louis told TV Week: "It's the only real opportunity you get to play in a football game of that magnitude if you're not a professional footballer. So it's very exciting for a football fan, and coupled with all the good that the charity has done over the past two decades, it's remarkable really."

But there's one moment that sticks out in Louis's head, playing against Niall in the 2016 game. He said: "I played against my One Direction bandmate Niall Horan in 2016. I'm the kind of guy who will rub it in your face when I win. So I kind of enjoyed having that over Niall for a couple of years!"

Louis' younger sisters, twins Daisy and Phoebe, will be on hand to offer their support in the stands. Speaking previously to the , Phoebe, said: "Obviously, with Louis playing, I've only attended once, but it was really fun. Super excited, Louis playing just makes it more interesting and a bit more funny as well."

Daisy commented: "I wouldn't say I feel as nervous seeing him play football than sing but I probably should. He sings more than he plays football but I heard he's been putting in the graft in training so I shouldn't feel too nervous on the day."