Zayn Malik is so proud of his time with One Direction, he has filled his home with memorabilia from his boyband days.

The 23-year-old pop star stunned fans when he quit the group in March, 2015.

He has since launched a solo career, insisting he enjoys the creative freedom he now has after complaining about the musical restrictions he suffered while he was a member of One Direction.

Despite his move to distance himself from his boyband past, in his forthcoming autobiography, simply titled Zayn, he admits he has kept vast amounts of memorabilia from his One Direction days and keeps them on display in his home.

"I can honestly say I'm proud of a lot of stuff from the One Direction days," he writes in an extract published by Teen Vogue magazine. "I'm not sure people realize that, but I am. I've got the memorabilia - the platinum discs we received with every album - all over my house."

The Pillowtalk singer even adds that he has turned a wall in his home into a special shrine to his time with the band.

"I have a wall dedicated to displaying them (memorabilia)," he explains. "One Direction was an incredible experience in its own right, and it's a part of me, an integral part of my history, and I'm never going to deny that aspect of my life."

Although he has experienced anxiety problems when performing solo, Zayn claims he loved the adulation he received as a member of the former five-piece.

"I got to meet amazing fans, and I can never thank all of them enough for the love and support they gave me during the good times, and the bad," he adds.

The other four members of One Direction - Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles - have since followed Zayn's lead in focusing on solo projects, after announcing the band would embark on a hiatus at the end of last year (15).