Liam Payne turns 21: what saran would he give to his 14-year-old self? 

Liam Payne turns 21: what advice would he give to his 14-year-old self?

The One Direction star is celebrating the milestone birthday today and reveals what he\'d change if he could turn back the clock

Happy birthday to Liam Payne who turns 21 today.

The One Direction member will no doubt be celebrating in appropriate boy band fashion, but turning another year older is as much about reflection as it is partying.

In an interview with Cosmopolitan, the hunky star revealed that if he could turn back the clock he\'d have some important advice to give to his 14-year-old self.

He explained: “I’d tell myself to lighten up a bit. I was just a bit too work-concentrated, because I really wanted to make it.

"I should have just enjoyed it a bit more. But maybe it helped us along, me being the serious one while everybody else was being more erratic?”

At 14, the singer auditioned for the fifth series of The X Factor in 2008 and made it to the judges houses before being told by Simon Cowell that he wasn\'t ready for the competion.

Two years later he returned to the talent contest with vengeance as part of 1D, and while they didn\'t take first place, the group of lads have been riding the wave of stardom ever since.

In the same interview, Liam and Niall Horan discussed their favourite smells after launching the new women\'s fragrance, You & I.

The boys gave a sneaky glimpse into the kind of scent they want their girlfriends wearing, saying they preferred something fruity rather than in-your-face.

Liam said: "You don’t want to go in for a cuddle and then get a big whiff of ‘Whoah, what’s that!’"

Other odour-worthy revelations included that the band\'s private jet usually smells like McDonalds.

We\'re guessing the birthday boy will have no trouble finding some female company as he celebrates turning 21.

The star couldn\'t even complete his ALS Ice Bucket Challenge without being assisted by a gaggle of girls.

Read the full interview in Cosmpolitan on sale 4th September.

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