Zayn Malik "never really spoke" to Harry Styles during their time together in One Direction.

Zayn Malik

Zayn Malik

The 24-year-old star first found fame alongside Harry in the chart-topping band - which was put together on 'The X Factor' in 2010 and also featured Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne and Niall Horan - but he was never especially close to the 'Sign of the Times' hitmaker.

Asked if he still speaks with Harry, Zayn confessed: "To be honest, I never really spoke to Harry even when I was in the band. So I didn't really expect that much of a relationship with him."

Zayn has endured a turbulent relationship with his former bandmates ever since he quit One Direction in March 2015.

And while he's still in contact with some of the members, he revealed their relationship is little more than "civil" these days.

He told Us Weekly magazine: "We're in touch. Everything is on a civil level.

"It's not the way it used to be, obviously, because we were spending 24 hours a day in the band and now we're growing as individual men, but we still check in."

Despite this, Zayn reiterated his previous statement that he could, one day, reunite with One Direction.

The singer has enjoyed considerable success as a solo artist since quitting the band, but revealed he remains open-minded about the possibility of a reunion.

Asked whether he'd consider reuniting with the boys, Zayn replied: "Who knows? I've said it before: Never say never."

Meanwhile, Louis recently admitted he had reconciled his friendship with Zayn on the urging of his late mother Johanna Deakin, who passed away in December 2016 after suffering with cancer.

He said recently: "My mum said, 'You've got to get back in contact with Zayn. Life's too f***ing short'.

"A mother's intuition is just f***ing crazy. It always felt supernatural to me. My mum always knew what I was feeling and what I wanted.

"I can't stand to hold a grudge with anyone. It doesn't sit with me right.

"If there is any animosity, just clear the air. I met up with him and it was nice."