Born in Durango, Biscay, Barinaga moved to England in his teens at the start of the Spanish Civil War, accompanied by two of his three siblings. Some of the other refugees who made the same journey in 1937 also became footballers, including Emilio Aldecoa, José Gallego and Raimundo Lezama;[1][2][3] whilst playing for his local high school he was discovered by Southampton and went on to spend one season with its reserve team, scoring 62 goals.[4]