WIGAN Warriors have confirmed the signing of Wolves centre Martin Gleeson.

The 28-year-old England centre was unveiled at a JJB Stadium press conference this afternoon and joins his hometown club on a three-and-a-half year deal, with Wigan paying a six-figure fee.

Meanwhile, Warriors have released full back Richie Mathers and he will sign for Wolves with immediate effect.

Warrington confirmed that Gleeson, who turns 29 next month and was under contract until the end of 2010, had been seeking a change of club for some time.

Initially, he had set his sights on continuing his career with an NRL club in Australia, where he grew up, until initial interest went quiet.

But a move to the JJB Stadium proved to be too good to refuse for the Wigan-born Gleeson and Wolves boss Tony Smith was happy to let him go, stressing the need to build a squad of players fully committed to the cause.

Speaking for the first time about the move, Gleeson said: "It will be an honour to wear the famous cherry and white shirt.

"I decided some time ago that if I left the Wolves to play for any other club in Super League then it would probably only be my hometown club.

"As this opportunity has now come up I’m delighted to take it.

"The Warriors have an exciting future and I’m really looking forward to being part of that."

Meanwhile, Mathers joins Wolves after an unhappy 17-month spell at Wigan.

The 25-year-old signed for Warriors in November 2007 after an injury-plagued spell at Gold Coast Titans but failed to recreate the form that had earned him international honours earlier in his career.

After appearing in the first game of the current campaign against Wakefield, Mathers was suspended for two games for tripping Cats winger Dave Halley.

Since returning from that ban, he has found himself out of favour with coach Brian Noble and is currently sidleined for a month with a hamstring injury.

Mathers will team up again with former coach Smith at The Halliwell Jones Stadium after the pair worked together previously at Leeds Rhinos, where the full back first rose to stardom.

It will not be the first time Mathers has pulled on the primrose and blue either, as he was initially on Wolves’ academy books and had a successful loan spell with Warrington in 2002 before making his name with Leeds.

Gleeson was ‘rested’ by Wolves at the weekend and his last appearance for the club was at stand off in the 27-22 win against Celtic Crusaders on March 29.

He got a taste for the play-making half back role with Warrington last year and Tony Smith also gave him games in that position during England’s 2008 World Cup campaign, but Gleeson had made the right centre position his own at Wolves since 2005.

His signing from St Helens, for a club record fee of £200,000, was seen as a real coup in the bid to bring glory days back to Warrington.

He hit it off straight away with his wing partner Henry Fa’afili and, feeding off quality ball from the likes of Lee Briers and Logan Swann, formed one of the most lethal attacking threats in Super League.

While the likes of Swann and Fa’afili were released at various stages, Gleeson remained the rock on the right-hand edge and whoever played outside him was regularly among the tries.

Former Manly Grand Finalist Chris Hicks found that out at the start of their partnership last year, before Hicks was required to cover at full back for the majority of the campaign.

Young Chris Riley benefited, too, touching down 13 times in the last 14 games of 2008.

Throughout his Warrington career Gleeson kept hold of his international jersey, firstly under current Wigan coach Brian Noble and then under new Wolves boss Tony Smith.