Liam Payne appears to have revealed a new tattoo commemorating the year of his birth amid growing speculation over the imminent arrival of his first child.

The One Direction star is thought to be shortly expecting a baby with singer Cheryl.

But the 23-year-old appears to be looking back to his own arrival in the world in a new inking posted to his account on Instagram.

It shows a new tattoo on his inner arm saying '1993' - the year in which he was born.

The post garnered thousands of likes from fans, some of whom speculated that it could refer to a new solo album title after his band went on hiatus.

Others suggested that it could be a hint about the new addition to his family.

Payne and Cheryl are thought to be still awaiting the birth of a child after a pregnancy in which both remained tight-lipped.

Cheryl has not made any public comment on the baby - though she tacitly acknowledged her pregnancy in a campaign photo for the The Prince's Trust and L'Oreal Paris.

Last week a message posted by Payne prompted fans to question whether Cheryl has already given birth.

He wrote on Twitter: "Why do I always do the strangest walk when I'm trying to be quiet in a morning."

Payne and Cheryl have been together since early 2016 and went public with their romance at an event in May, after she separated from her now ex-husband Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini.