An alien told Zayn Malik to quit One Direction

Los Angeles - Zayn Malik was told to quit One Direction by "an alien."

The 23-year-old singer songwriter - who quit the group in March last year - revealed a visitation from an extra-terrestrial being in his dream made him realise he needed to leave the boy band, which was made up of Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne and Harry Styles.

Speaking to Glamour magazine about his revelation to quit the group, he said: "An alien spoke to me in a dream."

And the dark-haired heartthrob has admitted the late Thriller hitmaker Michael Jackson was his greatest musical influence and inspired him to embark on a career in the music industry.

Speaking about his inspiration, he said: "No question: Thriller by Michael Jackson."

However, the PillowTalk soloist has revealed he has an obsession with late reggae musician Bob Marley, and regularly plays tribute to the One Love hitmaker after his performances.

When asked about the first thing he does when he steps off of the stage, he said: "Pay homage to Bob Marley."