For instance Abukaker Kaki, the Sudanese 800m runner whom Aden has coached to two world indoor titles, completed his season with two national records in the 1,000m and his specialist event. His 800m time of 1min 42.23sec was achieved in the epic race at the IAAF Samsung Diamond League meeting in Oslo which was narrowly won by the man who finished the year as world record holder, Kenya's David Rudisha.

Meanwhile Aden, in his first full season as coach to the Qatar athletics team - which, following international rule changes on countries "adopting" top class runners from other nations, is now laying increasing store on recruiting young native talent - has made the kind of impact his employers must have dreamed of after offering him top dollar to choose them despite the keen overtures being made to him in Britain.

Hamza Driouch, a 16-year-old Qatari, earned 1000m silver in the Singapore Youth Olympics, and also ran the fastest youth time of the year for 800m, 1:46.85. Seventeen-year-old Mohamed Al-Garni took 1500m bronze in the World Junior Championships, running the second fastest junior time of the year, 3:36.32 and also posting the fastest junior time for the mile with an effort of 3:55 in Oslo.

And Musaeb Balla won an 800m silver medal in the Asian Games last month in 1:46.19, a personal best by nearly six seconds.








                                                                                                   
"It's extremely important to me to be recognised as the best Arab coach in all sport," Aden (Aden, pictured at the award ceremony back row, fourth from left) told insidethegames. "I was not surprised at being named the best in track and field, but to win an award across all sports was a big achievement and honour. Overall I had a great season - every one of my athletes ran a personal best."

That included Mukhtar - the name means 'chosen' in Arabic - who finished sixth in the UK rankings with a time of 1:46.92 which was more than six seconds quicker than his best.

Mukhtar might have been contemplating a career as a professional footballer had circumstances favoured him a little more. Two years ago he was on Sheffield Wednesday's books – and doing so well in midfield that he was referred to by the Sheffield Star newspaper as "Wednesday starlet".

The youngster also liked running, and spent some time at the Don Valley track where his elder brother coaches Sheffield Athletics Club members, running 1:53 for the 800m as a 17-year-old in 2007.

But a lower back injury at the start of 2009 meant he had to spend six months doing absolutely no exercise, and when the next trials were held at Wednesday he was not signed up.

"I sat down with him then and said 'Where do we go from here?'," Muktar told insidethegames. "I said, 'If you work hard on the track, you can be a champion one day.' I could see the potential in him. In September 2009 he ran the 800m in 1:59 off almost zero training."

When Aden - whose wife comes from Sheffield and who has been based in the city for the last 17 years - next returned from a coaching trip abroad, Mustafa, a former athlete himself, invited him to take a look at his kid brother.

"Jama knew all about Mukhtar," Mustafa said. "He knew he had done 1:53 two years earlier. But he had not seen him run."

When Aden turned up at the Don Valley stadium on that evening in October 2009, he knew immediately that he was looking at a real prospect.

Aden, whose own life was changed through athletics when he left his native Somalia to take up a sporting scholarship at a Canadian college when he was 17, is a widely admired judge of promising new runners.

And his ability to communicate with a wide range of athletes is complemented by his command of three languages. He believes it is possible to spot a potential athlete just by watching the way the walk down the street. There is something about the fluidity and balance of movement in such individuals that announces itself in even the most mundane of circumstances - if you have the eye to see it.

Mustafa recalls Aden's reaction. "Jama spends many hours with some of his athletes working on their posture and running action," he said. "But when he saw Mukhtar he said he had all the movement naturally. He would not need to work on that side of things. All that needed to happen was for Mukhtar to improve with training. He told me 'This boy can go far.'"

Aden also recalls that evening clearly.

"I had first met Mukhtar in Sheffield 2008 while he was playing football for Sheffield Wednesday, but he also ran 1:53. He was being coached by his elder brother Mustafa, who told me about his potential and asked me to help him. But when I asked Mukhtar I found out he was pretty much into football.

"When I came back to Sheffield in 2009 to see my family, Mukhtar and his brother asked me for help again. This time Mukhtar was serious about athletics. After watching Mukhtar run, I told Mustafa that he can be good."

In January last year Mukhtar travelled out for a month's training at altitude in Addis Ababa, supported by his brother, who runs a taxi business. In February he moved on to join Aden in Doha, staying in his house and working with him and his group for three months, before going on to join Kaki and his group in Egypt - with his ticket and all expenses being paid for by the double world indoor champion.

Mukhtar then followed Kaki (pictured) to a training camp in Sweden where the double world indoor champion was preparing for his race against Rudisha in Oslo. He is currently back in Qatar working with Aden's group.

The Sheffield AC runner's achievements have just been marked by UK Athletics, who have put him on their Futures programme. But his year of experience and achievement has been funded primarily through the generosity of his brother, and Kaki. And of course, Aden.

"Mukhtar has been with me, and his brother and family support him to travel with us in the camps at Doha, Oman and Sweden, where he has been progressing in every week," Aden said

"Mustafa looks after his training at home in Sheffield and I send him his training through email. He is a very nice kid, easy to coach, and he is building a good pace this year and I will be expecting some good times for the upcoming two years.

"Last January I was expecting Mukhtar to run around 1:48 for the 800 in 2010. But he ran 1:46 twice. He is very tough boy, and he's only just turned 20. He is going to be big soon. I think next year he will run 1:44."

If Mukhtar, whose next target is the European indoor trials at Sheffield in February, can achieve that ambition, it will put him right in the frame with just a year to go until the 2012 London Olympics.

That says a lot for his talent. And also the support and experience of a world-renowned coach who is transforming horizons for a generation of talented young athletes.

Mike Rowbottom, one of Britain's most talented sportswriters, has covered the last five Summer and four Winter Olympics for The Independent. Previously he has worked for the Daily Mail, The Times, The Observer, the Sunday Correspondent and The Guardian. He is now chief feature writer for insidethegames