WOLVES have completed the signing of full back Richie Mathers on a two-and-a-half year deal.

On the same day the club sold Martin Gleeson to Wigan Warriors, Mathers was released from his contract at the JJB Stadium to move in the opposite direction.

It will be the 25-year-old's third spell in primrose and blue, having spent time with Wolves' academy aged 13 and also enjoying a brief loan spell at the club in 2002.

That loan move proved to be the springboard for his career, as he found first team chances more forthcoming on his return to Leeds Rhinos and established himself as a first-team regular the following year.

At Warrington, Mathers will also link up with Tony Smith once again, having played under Wolves' head of coaching and rugby at Leeds.

Smith seemed to get the best of out of Mathers, who won the Super League championship and World Club Challenge with Rhinos before joining the NRL's Gold Coast Titans in 2007.

Mathers made just five appearances for Titans, as his time Down Under was disrupted by a cruciate knee ligament injury and he returned to England in November 2007, signing for Wigan.

Despite being a first-team regular last season, Mathers has endured a difficult start to the current campaign, making just one appearance in the opening fixture against Wakefield before suspension and injury kept him out of contention.

But Smith is confident he can help his former pupil rediscover the form that earned him international recognition earlier in his career.

"I’m really looking forward to reuniting my association with Richard as I found him a real pleasure to coach and I look forward to helping him return to some of the form he has shown in the past," said the Wolves boss.

"I think he can be a real valuable asset to the club not only on the field but off the field in areas such as his training methods.

"He is a whole hearted trainer and sets an example to those around him which will be great for the young players within the club."