By David Walmsley BBC Sport Online

When Rio Ferdinand returns to Leeds in the red of arch-rivals Manchester United on Saturday, he will be assured of a deafeningly hostile reception.

The England defender should take it as a compliment.

Rio ready for Leeds reception

The tone and volume of his welcome says the Elland Road crowd would rather he was still with them than against them.

And not every player who deserts to the enemy camp is as badly missed.

Hostile reception for Rio? Have your say

Here are five of the players who never came back to haunt the managers who let them fall into their deadliest rivals' clutches - Lee Sharpe, Abel Xavier, John Hartson, Paul Ince and Terry Cooke.

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No wonder Leeds fans so dislike Manchester United.

Over the years, Old Trafford managers have taken Rio Ferdinand, Eric Cantona, Joe Jordan and Gordon McQueen from Elland Road.

And in return, Sir Alex Ferguson kindly let Leeds buy Lee Sharpe for �4.5m in 1996.

Exeter release Sharpe

Sharpe had been one of United's brightest youngsters in the early '90s but could not keep pace with the likes of David Beckham and Ryan Giggs.

Ferguson shrewdly offloaded him across the Pennines just as his star began to fall.

The winger made only 28 appearances for the Yorkshiremen before embarking on a string of loan spells and eventually being moved on to Bradford for �200,000.

He was released by Exeter at the end of last month.

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Most recent transfers between Liverpool and Everton have been from Anfield to Goodison.

Abel Xavier: Everton to Liverpool

But in signing Abel Xavier for �800,000, Gerard Houllier appears to have given Evertonians the chance to get their own back and take revenge for Gary Ablett.

When the Blues paid an eyebrow-raising �750,000 for Ablett in 1992 there was no mass protest from the Kop.

Similarly, there were few fans overly disappointed to see Xavier in a red shirt.

The Portuguese defender has looked the weak link in Liverpool's rearguard.

But with Jamie Carragher fit again and Markus Babbel also on the mend, the fun may be about to stop.

Big name transfers between London clubs are relatively rare occasions.

But there will be few better pieces of capital business than that done by West Ham in selling John Hartson to Wimbledon for �7.5m in 1999.

John Hartson: West Ham to Wimbledon

That was more than twice what they paid Arsenal for him two years previously.

A 24-goal haul from 60 league games in that time was an acceptable return.

But kicking team-mate Eyal Berkovic in the head during a training ground bust-up was not and contributed to the club's decision to sell.

Hartson, once Britain's most expensive teenager, remained popular with the Upton Park fans.

But his subsequent record of injury and on-off transfers suggests Harry Redknapp timed his departure to perfection.

There were few long faces at Old Trafford when Paul Ince chose Anfield as his point of return from his two years in Italy with Inter Milan.

His arrival at Liverpool did more to cost Roy Evans his job than it did to take the Reds nearer to an elusive Premiership crown.

Evans hoped his �4.2m was buying him the "Guv'nor" who helped establish United's domination of the English game.

Instead, it bought him the "big-time Charlie" Fergie had dubbed the former West Ham man.

Added to Anfield's existing "Spice Boy" clique, his signing did nothing to improve the discipline the side badly needed.

Evans departed in November 1998. Ince followed him out the door the following summer.

With Leeds and Liverpool taken care of, that just leaves Manchester City for Sir Alex to foist his slightly-damaged seconds on.

Terry Cooke: Man United to Man City

So enter Terry Cooke, a small but pacy winger destined to separate Manchester City from �1m of their small change.

Apparently pushing Ryan Giggs for his place in United's first team, Cooke impressed with five goals in 17 games on a loan spell at Maine Road.

City made a permanent move for the youngster in 1998 but soon found they had already seen the best of him.

Cooke played just 24 times for City and after a succession of lower-division loans joined Grimsby on a free during the summer.