Suffolk superstar Ed Sheeran has ended his year-long hiatus with the release of his new track 'The Afterglow'.

Ed, who grew up in Framlingham and lives near the town, premiered his new single on BBC Radio 1 on Monday morning.

The Shape of You chart-topper has also said he is working on a new album after taking a break from his career over the course of 2020.

East Anglian Daily Times: Ed Sheeran has stayed out of the media limelight for most of the yearEd Sheeran has stayed out of the media limelight for most of the year (Image: Archant)

Ed had teased fans in an Instagram post on Sunday where he promised a mystery "Christmas present" at 11am on Monday.

The post was accompanied by a short clip of Ed sitting down with a guitar, strongly hinting at the release of new music.

After the new song received its first airplay, Ed revealed that 'The Afterglow' was written last year and was not the first single from an upcoming album.

He said on Instagram: "Hey guys. Afterglow is a song I wrote last year that I wanted to release for you.

"It's not the first single from the next album, it's just a song I love, and hope you love too.

"Enjoy! Have a safe and happy festive break and New Year's. Back to dad land for me now, ciao."

The star announced last December that he was going on a break after the end of his Divide tour to "take a breather, write and read".

He pledged to return with more music - but only "when the time is right and I've lived a little more to actually have something to write about".

The tour, which smashed the all-time record for highest grossing tour, ended with four stunning homecoming shows at Chantry Park in Ipswich on the bank holiday weekend of August 2019.

It was revealed earlier this year that the gigs, which attracted around 40,000 attendees each, helped boost the Ipswich economy by more than £9million, according to figures from Ipswich Borough Council.

Ed has stayed out of the media limelight for the most part throughout 2020 - but made a special announcement in September when he revealed his wife and childhood sweetheart Cherry Seaborn had given birth to their daughter, Lyra Antarctica.

He also donated a series of items towards the Ed Sheeran: Made in Suffolk charity auction, which raised more than £400,000 for good causes in the county.