When James Milner speaks about Liverpool training, you listen. And his latest revelations about life under Jurgen Klopp are enough to make even the fittest athletes wince.

Speaking on the That Peter Crouch Podcast, the veteran midfielder pulled back the curtain on what made Klopp's early sessions so legendary—and so brutal. "You wouldn't believe training," Milner recalled. "One of the first international breaks, I was suspended or something for England, so I was at the club, and I think two of the boys threw up in one of the first sessions we did."

That vivid image alone captures the intensity that defined Klopp's reign. But Milner didn't stop there. He described a training ground atmosphere where the tempo was "through the roof," with players constantly chasing multiple balls and reacting to sudden calls of "New ball!" that sent everyone sprinting in a new direction.

The physical toll was staggering. Milner noted, "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."

What makes these memories so timely is the current debate around Liverpool's intensity levels this season. With fan protests ongoing and questions about standards both on and off the pitch, Milner's account serves as a powerful reminder of the non-negotiable culture Klopp built from day one.

"You've gone from one tempo to another, and it took time to develop," Milner explained. "Some players can't ever get there. I suppose it was, 'If you're here, this is how we do it.'"

That mentality—where intensity wasn't optional but mandatory—transformed a club that Milner admitted had its mentality all wrong before Klopp arrived. It's a lesson in what it takes to build a champion, and a reminder that greatness isn't just about talent—it's about being willing to push yourself until you can't push anymore.