One Direction could "throw away" their success, according to Kian Egan.

The former Westlife star suggested he doesn't think Harry Styles and co have a strong enough bond to make their boy band career go the distance, reported The Sun.

He said: "One Direction would be fools to throw it away, absolutely fools - and I get the feeling they will."

Kian went on: "I watch them and they don't seem to have this bond as tight as we had in Westlife - especially as they've only been together three or four years."

The Irish star, who was one fifth of Westlife for 14 years, revealed the Midnight Memories hitmakers need to think of themselves as one unit, rather than as five singers.

"As we always said in Westlife, there's not one person in a band that's bigger than the band," said the 33-year-old.

"Respect each other and understand that it's a unit, it's not a bunch of individuals wanting to do what they want to do."