Liam Payne thinks One Direction ''needs a little bit of a break''.

The 21-year-old singer has hinted the band plan to take some time off following the release of their fifth studio album later this year.

He said: ''You know, I think everyone needs a little bit of a break now, and a sit down and a stop, to kind of take in all the great things that've happened.''

The news comes just two months after several publications reported the group - also featuring Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson - would be taking some time away from the band, which Liam actively denied at the time.

He told BANG Showbiz: ''We won't be going anywhere for a while, so I don't know where that's brewed from.''

But the 'Steal My Girl' hitmakers seem to have had a change of heart, and Liam - who is dating his childhood friend Sophia Smith - wants to write music for other artists and spend some time back at home.

Asked what he wants to do during their time off, he said: ''There's loads of things. I've been writing a lot on the road at the moment, not for me, just for other people. I've been doing a lot of things, you know trying to get into the producing side of it which is pretty cool.

''I guess I'm going to go home and chill for a little bit. Everyone's asking if I'm gonna go away on holiday, but I've been everywhere, so I kind of just wanna go home! I honestly do miss living in Wolverhampton.''

Nevertheless, the group - who premiered the first single 'Drag Me Down' from their fifth studio album last week - are excited for the release of their next LP, which they have only recently completed work on.

Liam told Free Radio host Adam Wilbourn: ''The album was recorded, we finished two days ago, which has taken like a month to record and a month or so to write.''