Garmendia was born in
Villabona,
Gipuzkoa. He played solely for
Basque club
SD Eibar, in a career that lasted 19 years. He stayed with the team as they competed consecutively in the nation's
fourth,
third and
second divisions, making 322 appearances in the latter. On 17 April 1988, in a third-tier match against
Pontevedra CF, Garmendia scored from his goal, and Eibar would also
promote at the end of the campaign. He retired ten years later at the age of 38, only having been second choice precisely in his
last season (three games) and with the side always retaining their league status; he collected two
Ricardo Zamora Trophy awards in the process. ==Personal life==