West Ham United fans will show Carlos Tevez a "grudging admiration" when he returns to Upton Park as a Manchester United player on Saturday, manager Alex Ferguson said.
Tevez left West Ham to join United in the off season after playing a key role in the London club's survival in the Premier League and Ferguson believes their fans will receive the Argentina striker well.
"It will be interesting to see, but they must be thankful for him. Deep down they must be really thankful because I think he kept them up last year," Ferguson said on Friday.
"His performances were fantastic for them so therefore in a way there will be a grudging admiration for what he achieved for West Ham, even though it was for a short period," he told a news conference.
"That's one thing we are proud of at our club, that players who have given great service to our club, when they come back they get a great ovation."
Tevez scored seven times in the final 10 games of last season, including the last-day winner at Old Trafford, as West Ham won their final four games to complete an unlikely escape from relegation.
The 23-year-old has scored seven Premier League goals for United this season with Ferguson describing the striker's contribution as "terrific."
Tevez was rested for United's Boxing Day win at Sunderland but will return against mid-table West Ham, where Ryan Giggs, Patrice Evra, Anderson and Owen Hargreaves could also figure. Goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is again ruled out with a groin injury.
United hold a one-point lead over Arsenal and are seven points ahead of Chelsea in third place but Ferguson said the title race was not down to the top two.
"It's been proved in the past that six-point gaps can disappear quite quickly. It disappeared for Arsenal in December," he said.
However, Ferguson said that leading the league at the turn of the year will give United a real chance of successfully defending their title.
"Once you get to the beginning of January if you are in first or second or one or two points off the top then you know you've got a chance, no question about that.