In the wake of Liam Payne's untimely passing on Wednesday, Louis Tomlinson took to his official Instagram account to share a heartfelt tribute for his pal's tragic death.

"I am beyond devastated to be writing this but yesterday I lost a brother. Liam was somebody I looked up to everyday, such a positive, funny, and kind soul,"

While recalling their early days of friendship Louis called Payne his brother he "longed for all his life"

"Liam was an incredible song writer with a great sense of melody, we often spoke of getting back in the studio together to try and recreate the writing chemistry we had built up in the band," he praised Payne's songwriting skill.

Louis continued, "And for the record, Liam was in my opinion the most vital part of One Direction. His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on. Thank you for shaping us Liam."

Closing his note he mentioned a special message for the late singer-songwriter, saying that he felt beyond lucky to have him in his life, but he is "struggling with the idea of saying goodbye".

Louis also promised to be there for Payne's son Bear as an "Uncle"

"Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you mate. Sleep well X," he concluded his post.