Martin Gleeson
Gleeson playing for Warrington in 2007
Personal information
Born	25 May 1980 (1980-05-25) (age 29)
	Wigan, Greater Manchester, England
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight	15 st 5 lbs (96 kg)
Playing information
Position	Centre
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1999–2001	Huddersfield Giants	56	18	0	0	72
2001–2004	St Helens	57	25	0	0	100
2004–2009	Warrington Wolves	110	44	0	0	176
2009–	Wigan Warriors	22	6	0	0	24
	Total	245	93	0	0	372
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2002–2007	Great Britain	20	3	0	0	12
2008–	England	5	6	0	0	24
As of 4 October, 2009
Source: Rugby League Project

Martin Gleeson is an English professional rugby league footballer currently contracted to the Wigan Warriors of Super League. His brother, Mark Gleeson, is also a rugby league player who plays for Halifax RLFC.

Gleeson was born in Wigan on 25 May 1980. Much of his early rugby development took place in Australia, where he emigrated with his family at age 10 to live in Queensland. He returned to England aged 17 and embarked on a professional career, signing for Huddersfield Giants in 1999.

After three seasons with the Giants he left the club after their relegation from Super League in 2001, and signed for St Helens RLFC. In 2002 he won the Super League Grand Final and made his debut for Great Britain against Australia in Sydney in July, also participating in the test series against New Zealand at the end of the season.

Injury lay off disrupted him in 2003 but he came back at the end of the season to win back his place in the Great Britain squad after a fine performance for England A against the touring Australians.

He opened the 2004 season for St Helens, and won the Challenge Cup against Wigan Warriors at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. He and teammte Sean Long were later involved in a betting scandal that saw both players fined and suspended.

Whilst serving his suspension, Gleeson was signed by Warrington Wolves for a club record fee reported in the region of £200,000, and made his debut for the Wolves in the 2005 season. Gleeson enjoyed a fine first season for the Wolves, recording a personal best scoring tally of 17 tries in 27 Super League appearances, and he was named as a centre in the Super League Dream Team 2005. Gleeson was also heavily involved in providing scores for his winger partner, New Zealand international Henry Fa'afili. Gleeson signed a two year extension until 2011. However on the 4th April, 2009 he signed for local rivals, the Wigan Warriors, on a three and a half year deal.

In September 2008 he was named in the England training squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup,^[1] and in October 2008 he was named in the final 24-man England squad.^[2]

He has been named in the England team to face Wales at the Keepmoat Stadium prior to England's departure for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.^[3]

Seven rounds into the 2009 season, with both Warrington and Wigan at the time drifting outside of play-off positions, Gleeson was transferred to the Wigan Warriors on a 3½ year contract, with fullback Richie Mathers moving the other way in return.^[4]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Warrington Wolves profile
• International Statistics at englandrl.co.uk
• Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org
• Martin Gleeson Wigan Career Page on the CherryandWhite.co.uk Wigan RL Fansite.