Cheryl and Liam Payne cuddle in rare picture together

Liam Payne has posted a rare and romantic picture of himself with his partner Cheryl.

The One Direction singer, 23, and the former Girls Aloud star, 34, appeared in the loved-up selfie on Payne’s Instagram page, shared with his 14 million followers.

Payne stands behind Cheryl with his heavily tattooed arm around her in an embrace.

Along with the image, he used a series of emojis, including the star icon.

A short while later, Cheryl – who has not used social media for two weeks – tweeted a message of congratulations and advice to students receiving their GCSE results.

She wrote: “Congratulations to everyone receiving their GCSEs … and if you didn’t do as well as expected please don’t let it stop you!!”

Payne and Cheryl, who welcomed their first child together – son Bear – in March this year, have kept a low profile as a couple in recent months.

Cheryl recently revealed she was getting back to work after becoming a first-time mother, by sharing a picture of herself at a photoshoot for beauty brand L’Oreal Paris.

Payne has also been hard at work with the release of his solo music, including singles Strip That Down and Get Low, ahead of the launch of his debut album.