Westlife manager tells it straight

Westlife: One of the most successful of all boy bands

Westlife manager Louis Walsh has said that only band members Bryan McFadden and Shane Filan have a long-term future outside the group.

Mr Walsh made the comment in an interview with Smash Hits magazine - in which he also rubbished rumours that the group were about to split.

Bryan and Shane are turning out some amazing stuff

Louis Walsh

He also said he was unimpressed by the band's last album, Coast to Coast, saying it was not as good as the group's latest release, World Of Our Own.

"This album is much better than the last one - it's going to sell 10 million," he said.

"I didn't like the last one, but this is brilliant."

'Amazing stuff'

He praised McFadden and Filan's contributions to the album.

"Bryan and Shane are turning out some amazing stuff.

Every Westlife single has topped the UK chart

"They are the two with the long-term futures ahead of them - they have really gelled.

"It's going to be the album of the year."

Mr Walsh, who has also been responsible for guiding the careers of Boyzone and B*witched, dismissed reports that Westlife were to split up.

Demo tape

"It's all rubbish - the boys are very happy and if they weren't, I don't think they could have produced an album of this quality," he said.

Westlife's career took off when a demo tape of Together Girl Forever, written by Shane Filan and Mark Feehily, found its way to Mr Walsh, then managing Boyzone.

The group's first single, Swear It Again, was a chart-topper in the UK and Ireland in May 1999.

Their new single, Queen Of My Heart, is released on 5 November.