Noel Gallagher has said Zayn Malik should have stayed in One Direction, predicting the group has “five years at most” of success in the music business.

The High Flying Birds frontman joked that the 22-year-old singer, who decided to leave the boyband in March, could have taken it easy alongside his bandmates Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson.

One Direction at an event of some sort
One Direction (Ian West/PA)

Noel told James Corden on The Late Late Show: “I can’t understand why he wouldn’t do it because they’ve only got, at most, five years left. He should just stand in the back, smoke weed, get laid and pick the cheque up.”

The musician also gave some sound financial advice, telling Zayn to “get himself a good accountant”.

Zayn, who is engaged to Little Mix’s Perrie Edwards, announced his exit from the chart-topping group in March after five years, saying he wanted to “be a normal 22-year-old”.

Noel also recalled his own split with Oasis and his physical “fist fights” with brother Liam.

Oasis - brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher
Brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher (Zak Hussein /PA Wire)

“It was great,” he said, adding: “It was pretty even towards the end – I did leave on a high, though.”