AceShowbiz -

Liam Payne is back on the market. The singer reportedly has split from girlfriend Sophia Smith after two years of dating. A source close to the singer has confirmed the couple's separation to Daily Mail Online.

"Liam and Sophia have split," said the source. "Liam is incredibly sad, but is going to keep busy. He really hopes that everybody will respect both his and Sophia's privacy and stop speculating," added the source of the 22-year-old One Direction singer.

News of Liam's break-up comes just days after One Direction were forced to cancel one of their live shows in Belfast due to him falling ill. Liam himself has not yet addressed the report, but tweeted a cryptic message over the weekend, mirroring the sad news. "I love how music is always there for you when you need it most x," read his tweet.

I love how music is always there for you when you need it most x

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— Liam (@Real_Liam_Payne) October 24, 2015

Liam and Sophia first met while they were in secondary school and he had a crush on her for a long time. They began dating back in 2013.