Former Fulham full back Kay Voser has revealed how time with the Cottagers turned into ‘a horror trip’ and disclosed his battles with drug addiction and schizophrenia.

The Swiss international joined Fulham from FC Basel in 2014 hoping to help Felix Magath’s side make an immediate return to the top flight, but played just ten league matches in eighteen appearances before having his contracted cancelled. Voser, who is now rebuilding his life as a sports journalist, told Swiss newspaper Blick:

“For too long I’ve had to conceal things that are part of me – my fears and psychoses. My life is just a drama. My upbringing was very tough. My father was an alcoholic, my mother a manic depressive – and I am schizophrenic.

In my parallel universe, which I always dived into, I had a friend who looked just like me. While at Basel I often had difficult spells, and I drank too much at times. But Fulham turned into a horror trip for me. It began even before I joined them.

On holiday in Ibiza with other Basel players, I lost my grip on reality. We were on a yacht. I cheated on my then girlfriend, she dumped me on the spot and I plunged into severe depression. I could not establish myself on the pitch at Fulham, and I made a big mistake in joining them.

My state of mind became alarming. I let myself be talked into taking cocaine, and this came to light. The amounts that were revealed in tests were so small that it could not be proved for certain that I had actually taken cocaine. I had to fight the case, but my legal bills came to almost £100,000.

When my mother came to visit me in London for a few weeks I took time out for her. I told Fulham I was injured – a lie. There was resentment from the club towards me. But my mother was more important to me than football. Soon afterwards she died from cancer – and a part of me died with her.”