James Milner was a stalwart of the Liverpool squad under Jurgen Klopp, winning everything there was to won with the club, from the Premier League totle, Champions League, Club World Cup and more.
Three years after leaving the Reds, and two years after Klopp’s departure, the Leeds-born player prepares to hang up his boots for the final time at Brighton later this month.
Speaking on That Peter Crouch podcast, the 40-year-old gave a revealing insight into Klopp’s training regime at Anfield.
“You wouldn’t believe training. One of the first international breaks, I was suspended or something for England, so I couldn’t play, so I was at the club, and I think two of the boys threw up in one of the first sessions we did,” he said.
“The tempo was just through the roof. It was ridiculous. It was all about intensity, next situation.
“You’re playing with one ball here, and he’d kick another in, and he’d say, ‘New ball,’ and you all had to sprint to that one.”
“The number of sessions. He always used to do a double after a day off in the early days. These aren’t sessions where it’s like coming out of a tinkle, it’s like sprints.
“The amount of hamstrings we had that first season was unbelievable.”
This appears to be in stark contrast to Arne Slot’s less intense style. The Dutchman has been accused of being soft on players, giving them lots of days off between games. It’s something that may well be contributing to the lack of energy and determination on the pitch this season.
