ZAYN Malik has said he would consider a One Direction reunion "if the time was right and that was the right thing to do".

The 23-year-old quit One Direction in March last year, shortly before the band announced a "two year hiatus", and is now set to release his first solo single, Pillow Talk.

When asked about the band's "inevitable reunion" in an interview with the Sunday Times Culture magazine, he said: "Who knows?"

"I don't know. If the time was right and that was the thing to do, then I would make that decision when it came around."

Having previously said he was not in contact with his former band mates, he hinted that he had now "got an email" from one of the boys - but "I don't even wanna say names".

He added: "I have no beef."

Zayn, who grew up in East Bowling and attended Lower Fields Primary School and Tong High School, also revealed his hopes of continuing his education, which was cut short when he left sixth form halfway through to join the band in 2010.

He said: "You know what, to educate yourself isn't that hard these days. You can do it at home. You can go to lectures - just sit there, which hopefully, at some point, I can do - like, just sit and listen to a lecture."

The musician, who had originally planned to read English at university, said that going back to his studies would be "something that is only, solely for me, you know what I mean?"